


A cave to remember

by TFALokiwriter



Category: Lost in Space (1998), Lost in Space: The Classic Series
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Cave, Diamonds, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Grief, Guilt, Intense, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, Jupiter 2, Lies, Loss, Outer Space, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Self-Blame, Survivors Guilt, Suspense, Tragedy, monotone color, space pod, technicolor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-10
Updated: 2018-04-27
Packaged: 2019-04-20 16:31:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 45,527
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14265105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TFALokiwriter/pseuds/TFALokiwriter
Summary: One day, Smith and Will go into a cave but only one comes out the other side. And the consequences of it afterwards sends everything going in one direction, initially. |Originally a chapter that was part of A Cruel Kind of Agony but split off into its own story.





	1. We

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1998!Don bashing, BE WARNED. Listen to I believe for a wrinkle in time for the first scene.

Today, Smith felt genuinely happy and free. It was as though the constant threat of being doomed had been yanked off his mind. He was happier than he had been in years. Smith was happily humming, loudly, much to Don's annoyance that morning and readily volunteered to go out rock hunting with Will. They had decided going into the nearest cave that was also very close to the Jupiter 2 was the best place to go. Smith didn't act afraid in the cave but instead was happily humming. It was a dramatic change from the normally terrified doctor and a welcomed one for Will. The cave they had entered was radiating soft, wavy lights that ranged in intensity and tone drew their attention. Will looked up toward the ceiling with wide eyes and a fascinated gasp. Penny was afar with Debbie searching for food that it liked along with the Robot.

"This is majestic," Will said.

"Beautiful," Smith said. "Not much as a eyesore as the sun."

"So that is what the aurora lights are like," Will said.

"Indeed, indeed, they do," Smith then looked over toward the boy as it had occurred to him. "Hmm?" Smith raised a silver eyebrow. "Didn't you see them on our previous visit to a snow planet?"

"No," Will said. "I wasn't exactly paying attention. Must have been spectacle. All the skies look alike these days. . ."

"My boy, don't dwell on the past," Smith said, placing a comforting hand on Will's shoulder. "as my aunt Maude once said: dwell on the present."

Will looked up toward Smith.

"You're very wise, Doctor Smith," Will said.

"I like to think I am," Smith said.  Smith reached his hand off Will's shoulder then walked on ahead. "Hmm. . ." Smith sighed, shaking his head, then clasped his hands together. "There must a collection of rocks and crystals laying around here. . ."

"Wait up," Will called, coming after Smith.

"You know what I love about being alive?" Smith asked.

"Getting to have fun and over-eating," Will said.

"Asides to that," Smith said.

"What's that?" Will asked.

"Spending time with my family that I love deeply," Smith said, then looked both ways making sure that they were alone. "Don't tell the major I said that."

"I can do that," Will said, bemused. "And I love you too."

Smith picked up a diamond then popped it into the sack.

"Ah, it seems the fruits of our labors is not far off," Smith said, then picked up another and admired it.

"Don't get too many," Will said. "Or this time you might have to knit up the hole yourself."

"I learned from that mistake, William,"  Smith said.

"And that was?" Will asked.

"Do not get chains decorated in diamonds," Smith said.

"I think that's not what the lesson was," Will said.

"Then what was it?" Smith asked.

"Don't get so many," Will said, then Smith pat on his head lightly.

"Diamonds are rare and when they shine so brightly, it's best to admire them when you have the time," Smith said. "Because they are capable of losing that," he admired the colorful diamonds that were gathered up in a pile.  "You're a diamond and you are never going to lose that unlike I."

"Thanks," Will said. "Look!" Will picked up a large green gem.

"Why, my boy, you've found a jade," Smith said, once by Will's side. "Very large."

"We can exchange this for new winter equipment," Will said.

"A tedious task finding the equipment," Smith said, coming to a stop in front of Will. "May I hold it?"

"Sure," Will said, then handed it to Smith.

He held the large gem above his eyes looking at it with curiosity.

"Hmmm.  .  . Quite a marvelity," Smith said.

Smith handed it back to Will making a long cut on his fingers.

"You should be more careful," Will said.

Smith slipped out band-aids then used one by one on his bleeding fingers until all four slits were covered up.

"One cannot expect to be cut by jade," Smith retorted.

"Only if you handle it right," Will said, then Smith baa-ed back.

Smith picked up the trash then slid them into his pocket and went over to the pile of diamonds. He could determine if they were real when crossing paths with the Robot---speaking of which, his circular disk needed a replacement. _Again_. Determining if diamonds in the past week were the real deal had taken their toll on the Robot. It would take some time to recreate the bubble head if they were not near a space station that had plenty of bubble head used commonly as vases. Smith rubbed the side of his head feeling a headache coming on momentarily regarding the subject. Smith regained his balance then hook his head. The two carefully put the diamonds and gems into the sacks. The cave violently trembled abruptly below them. The two dropped their sacks and Smith's left hand slipped against his right palm leaving a long, painful cut on it. Smith landed against the glowing pile.

"William!" Smith shouted.

Will managed to get up as the ground continued to tremble. Smith bolted over to Will's side then helped him up to his feet then lead the way from their sacks. Pieces of rock clashed to the floor breaking into pieces, large bodies of crystals began to fall from above crashing around them, all the while Smith was doing trying to lead the boy to safety. Coming to abrupt stops when the large bodies of crystals crashing in front of him, Smith cowering in fear with a loud shriek, and running around the falling rocks it appeared that they were going to die. Smith saw a part of the cave that didn't seem to have a disturbance.

"We're almost there!" Will said.

"Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear," Smith whined. 

"We're going to make it!" Will said. 

"We're doomed!" Smith said.

"It's just a earthquake," Will said.

"Any earthquake can be fatal," Smith said, in a remarkably calm tone. 

Will's hand slipped out of Smith's hand.

"Doctor Smith!" Will shouted, seeing Smith's figure become smaller to his vision as pieces of rock were falling around him with a thunderous applause.

"Run, William, run!" Smith replied.

Then the ground violently trembled knocking Smith to the other side of the cave that lacked disturbance where he hit his head. Smith's eyes opened to see darkness was ahead of him. Smith flipped over onto his side then reached out, gently, with his left hand feeling around for Will. Smith stood up then felt even forwards. It seemed that he was blocked off. Smith tossed rock  after rock over his shoulder calling out for the child until he didn't have the energy to continue digging a hole. The imagery of Will laid underneath the rocks that acted as his final tomb was stung in his mind. A image that he could only see in his mind. Never-mind that he couldn't get through it.

"William.  . ." Smith started. "William!" Smith tried again. "Can you hear me?"

There was no reply.

"Knock if you can hear me," Smith said.

There was no knock.

"Sing, talk, growl, whistle," Smith said. "Please, William, do _something_."

There was nothing of the sorts that could be his reassurance.

" _Anything_!" Smith plead.

Smith lowered his head.

"No. . .No. . . No. . ." Smith wept, his hands on his knees, and lowered his head as tears began to come down his cheeks. "No!"

From the distance, there was a blue light headed his way. It was small at first then began to grow larger and larger to reveal that within the light there were two figures coming toward him. A young man and young woman were side by side coming toward Smith's direction. Smith's left hand was covered in blood and he slowly gripped onto his hand without so much of force. It was a gentle grip that didn't squeeze on the injury. The young, and rather cute woman knelt to his side and so did her companion.

"Hello, I'm a doctor," came the doctor. "How did you get here?"

"Uh, I don't think he is supposed to be glowing," came the taller man as the camera panned back to reveal a golden glow about him.

Smith closed his eyes, unresponsively.

"He must be a native of this planet," the doctor said.

"What the hell is happening to him?" her companion said.

The yellow glow slowly slid away before their eyes. Their eyes lowered and lowered watching the light retreat from his head down to his shoes until it was gone. His colorful yellow shirt turned to dark yellow, his dark purple shirt turned to black, his pink skin turned to a depressing shade of gray blending in with the people around him.  His silver hair had turned to dark gray. The doctor and her companion looked down toward Smith with puzzled looks on their faces. 

"It should have been me. . ." Smith said, finally. His gaze on the now-much-clear blocked passageway. "It should have been me. . ." The voices of those around him were like background static to him. He wasn't paying attention. "It should have been me---"

"What happened here?" her companion asked, shaking Smith's shoulder. Smith looked on. "Hello?" her companion waved a hand in front of Smith's face. "Anyone there?"

Smith stared at the companion in a way that indicated he saw through him.

"It should have been me," Smith repeated. 

"What should have happened?" her companion asked, raising a eyebrow.

"Stop it!" the doctor said. "He is in shock."

"I have seen people in shock like him,"  her companion said. "Normally, they can talk about what happened."

"What happened is that there was a collapse and he was the only survivor," the doctor said. "I can determine more if he is injured from med bay."

"I am not going to carry him," her companion replied.

The doctor seemed to be not please by her companion's reply.

"I wasn't going to suggest that," the doctor said. "Get me a blanket."

"It was supposed to be a night to ourselves," her companion said, standing up. "Why do glowing objects have to attract our attention when we least want it?"

"It will be a bad date if you keep that attitude up," the doctor replied, sharply glaring toward her companion.

Her companion stormed off.


	2. go

Smith was guided into the large, tank transport and seated onto a lone chair mumbling over and over: " _It should have been me_." Each time it was said, it sounded more sincere than it was before. Her companion glanced off toward Smith. He looked quite odd under the overhead light within the large transport. He noticed the man's color had become darker. His dark yellow shirt had turned to a white that contrasted against the gray skin and his v-neck shirt was pitch black with the v-collar being lighter. The young woman checked on Smith's hand wrapping it up in gauze. She placed his hand into his lap then joined her companion and Smith cupped his hands together. There were two benches on both sides of the vehicle. The ride to their transport was bumpy. And yet, despite all that Smith remained still. Motionless like he could not be disturbed by the bumps. He did not bounce against the seat.

Her companion looked over and watched him remain still, staring at him in disbelief, then back over in the direction of the doctor. They shared small glances over toward Smith. Roughly a hour passed as the camera showed the large, bulky transport heading toward a large spaceship that had a ramp lowered down to the floor. From behind it, there was a unique storm that had blue lightning striking the ground. The large transport came to a stop in front of the spaceship. Smith was lead out of the ship then up the ramp. He walked slowly compared to her companion who walked quickly and ahead of him. Smith came aboard to the bridge with a dazed, haunted look on his face. A thick fog of grief blinded him from paying attention.

Next Smith knew, he was sitting on a bed being thoroughly repaired. He had a shaky breath, watery eyes, and difficulty keeping his hands from trembling. The doctor walked out of his vision going over toward her companion. He couldn't hear a word that they were saying and he wasn't interested. His eyes felt heavy. It had been a tiring day for Smith. Will's voice calling for him repeated in his mind. He can see Will standing in front of him with part of his head covered in blood. His shirt torn in half while his outfit was covered in dirt. Pieces of diamonds sticking out from his skin. A large diamond sticking out of his head that irked Smith. A delicate process would need to be done to remove that diamond, let alone comforting Will while in operation and great care would be needed for his fingers to make sure he didn't cut himself.

Was it worth going into the cave?

No, it wasn't. 

 _"Why didn't you stop and come back for me?"_ Will asked.  _"Why didn't you stop at all for me?"_

Smith's eyes were on the questioning, once bright young boy.

 _"Why didn't you pick me up instead of taking my hand and leading me away?"_ Will asked.

Smith's once lively eyes were full of nothing as he looked on. 

 _"You could have saved me,  Doctor Smith,"_ Will replied. _"Or at least saved someone other than yourself."_

The doctor walked past Will and he was gone in the blink of a eye.

"I am going to remove this gauze and fix your hand," the doctor said, bringing over a kit.

Smith only had a long, sad sigh in return as she cut away the gauze.

 _"Another person willing to help you?"_ Will asked. _"Just like we did for you,"_ Will tsked. _"And you're doing nothing in return."_

"It should have been me," Smith repeated.

"That's what they all think after a tragedy and disasters," the doctor said, as she used a small device to repair the injury. "It could have been worse."

"It should have been _me_ ," Smith emphasized. "Not him."

 _"You're right it should have been you,"_ Will said, his voice lingering from beside him. _"It would have been less painful for my folks."_

"I am sure your family is worried for you," the doctor said, putting the device away.

"Oh, the pain. . ." Smith said, taking his hand back from the doctor.  "The pain. . ."

"What did you just say?" the doctor asked, raising her head up.

 _"The pain, the pain,"_ Will said, mockingly. _"Is it not funny that you're in actual pain and I am not?"_

Smith's eyes were aimed toward the dusted figure.

"It should have been me," Smith said.

"I knew someone who once said that a lot," The doctor said, pressing buttons. Smith was scanned in a blue light and a holographic screen appeared beside her with the results of the scan. Smith could tell that it indicated he was in perfect health and hearty. "We lost them awhile ago."

"It should have been me," Smith repeated.

"Do you feel internal pain?" the doctor asked. "My readings indicate you're fine but I don't trust the equipment."

Smith's eyes registered her.

"In the heart, dear. . ." Smith said, lowering his head down toward his hands. "just the heart."

The doctor brought over a padd device then tapped on it.

"Hold your hands out," the doctor said.

Smith's trembling hands relaxed then placed on to the device.

"Try to hold them still, please," The doctor requested.

She noticed the small cuts on his fingers.

"Where did you get those from?" The doctor asked.

Smith didn't reply.

"Rocks?" the doctor asked.

"Diamond hunting," Smith supplied, as the blue light outlined his fingers with a warm hum.

"There's no diamonds in there," the doctor said. "Why do you need diamonds?"

There was a light beep from the device.

"To use as currency. . . " Smith said, withdrawing his trembling hands placing them onto his lap. "currency. . . Currency, dear." he had difficulty going on. He cleared his throat with a shaky breath. "That is the second readily available currency accepted by space stations."

"Oh," the doctor said.

She stopped, looking over toward his ring. She slowly looked up from the ring toward Smith. There was life in his watery eyes. His watery eyes were full of grief. Shame, despair, and sadness was radiating off the man. She read the padd then looked at Smith with wide, shocked eyes and stepped away.

"It should have been me," Smith repeated, this time more softly.

The doctor retreated away from Smith.

Smith looked down toward his aged, small hands.

There were times where he had faced loss but none were as heavy as this one. Knowing it was his fault. His fault for losing someone close to him. These were hands that he once used to use Will as his shield. Hands that once held the unconscious boy after being zapped by the entity of the week. Hands that once tended to the boy's injuries to the best of his ability. Hands that had taken part in sabotage. They were just grayed, depressing hands staring back at him. The world around him was going slowly and everything was gray around him. He couldn't see Will mocking him or hear him for that matter. The room was dark and empty. He could see back into the days where he trained the Robinsons's mind for space, and as it turned out, that mind training being unnecessary. As someone who had no training for his mind to deal with breaking orbit, it was quite fascinating for that matter.

He could remember meeting the children for the first time. Will, babbling about being a space scout and how he was doing in the first summer. He remembered reading about the children's IQ, something that genuinely shocked Smith, making it seem logical that they were in fact the perfect family. Having to prod the conversation to start with Penny, a quiet girl who was busy imagining while he manned the machine. Her eyes wandered around the room lost in thought. Judy singing, providing a distraction for him when he came to think that never again would he see them after the launch. It was comforting at best. A memory that he could always hold onto.  A memory that he will always treasure.

The simple fact was that he couldn't go back to face the Robinsons. 

He couldn't face having to return with Will's limp body in his arms.

The screams coming from Maureen and John exiling him.

Don holding onto Judy as she wept.

Penny running away into the Jupiter holding on to Debbie.

And the Robot unable to decide what to do as Smith walked away perhaps for good.

Smith couldn't forgive himself knowing that it was his fault that Will was dead. He couldn't go back to such a forgiving, kind family with that added guilt on his mind. He looked up to see the doctor enter the room.  Holding her hand out for the man to come and join her. He recognized the gesture then followed after her. The corridors were dark and foreboding as his soul once been long ago. The quarters were sufficient and different at the same time from the ones aboard the Jupiter 2. It was like a apartment with a view of space. How long he had been in the med bay was beyond Smith. He can see the white holes in the black screen. He came over to the side of the window where he leaned against it. The Jupiter 2 never had windows in quarters. They were small and comfy. It was relaxing to a point. Taking his mind off space and make him believe that he was back on Earth. 

He put his hands onto the ledge.

"It should have been me," Smith said, slowly sliding down against the wall. Smith cupped the side of his face with his hand. "It should have been me."


	3. to

The door to the temporary quarters opened. Smith was disheveled, resting curled in the side of the dark red couch and his outfit was heavily wrinkled. His v-necked shirt was laid on the arm rest in a rather miserable mood. In fact, he was growing a grayed stubble. The arm rest of the couch was stained from his tears. Smith didn't acknowledge the young boy who came in with a chess set. He placed it in front of the table then took out the black and white circular items from a long, wide compartment. Smith looked over toward the chess set. A painful reminder of Will. The boy who let him win when playing chess.

_Oh, the pain. The pain._

A reminder of better times.

"Would you like to play chess?" the boy asked.

"No," Smith replied. "Go away."

"I'll make the first move then," the boy moved a piece forward.

"I am not the best chess player," Smith said.

"So? It doesn't matter to me," the boy said. "Long as you give it your all."

"You must be a alien who gets everything they want," Smith said.

"Yeah, you can say that, sort of," the boy said.

"I wish I could get everything that I wanted," Smith said.

"You can when you believe in yourself," the boy said.

"I used to have that for myself," Smith said. "I lost it when my best friend died."

"I'm sorry for your loss," the boy said.  "it must have been horrible for their family."

" _My_ family, yes. . ." Smith corrected, as the boy looked at him curiously. "It's a shame that . . . That. . that his sister had to find his body." Smith's gaze was on the window.

"The collapse must have been that awful," the boy said. 

"It was a earthquake. . . Nothing like ones I have experienced," Smith said. "And I have experienced a great many."

"How many?" The boy asked.

"Too many to count, dear." Smith's tear ducts were dry from hours of crying. He rubbed his finger along his cheek in a flickering motion as though flicking off a non-existent tear.

"I can wait here as long as I can until you make the next move," the boy said. 

"Then you will be here forever," Smith said, getting up from the chair. He walked over toward the window.

"I had a friend who was nearly lost so I saved him, rebuilt him, then lost him again last week," Smith's attention turned on to the young boy leaning against the ledge. "It still hurts." 

He turned his attention off the boy toward space.

"Grief is the escapade of emotional hurt," Smith said. "and it's nasty." he turned his attention onto the boy with a sympathetic look. "It can kill you, but long as you have something to hold on it won't happen."

"You have something to hold onto," the boy said.

Smith turned his attention off from the boy down toward the Smith ring.

"Prison is all I have to look forward," Smith said, sadly. "To redeem the family name for posterity."

"You haven't came out of your room since we left the planet," the boy said. "my dad and mom would like to talk with you on your terms."

"Long as there is a space station to leave me on, I will not be in their hair," Smith said.

"You're not a problem to us," the boy said. "and I am sure that you weren't to him."

"The smartest boy I ever knew," Smith said. "The bravest child. A kind little boy."

Smith's eyes sadly went toward the chess board. On both sides, the transparent visual of him and Will playing chess appeared before his eyes moving pieces. The apartment scenery melting away replaced by the familiar hydroponics across from them and the Jupiter 2 behind Smith. Maureen and the girls tending to the plants across from them. Will patiently waiting for Smith to make his next move. The scene melted away before Smith's eyes. He turned his attention away from the chess set in a pained manner.

"He must have made a impression," the boy said.

"The Robinsons are very good people," Smith said, as the boy's mouth fell open. "William was no different."

"Oh," the boy said.

"He wanted me to call him Will," Smith added. "He would correct me in our first year on Preplanis when I did call him by 'William'," he fought back a sob keeping his composure. The boy looked up toward Smith in pity. "I don't know when he stopped but he did."

"He didn't mind hearing his name coming from you," the boy said.

"He called me--me--me. . . _Friend_ ," Smith said. "After all I had done."

"Because he saw some good in you," the boy stood up then slowly approached Smith and came over toward his side.

"And I failed him," Smith said.

"Not everyone sees it coming," the boy said. "I knew a doctor who once said that life was inconvenient."

"Sounds like we would have gotten along," Smith said.

"You would have," the boy agreed.

"Does your father know you're here?" Smith asked.

"No," the boy said.

"You're a intelligent child," Smith said. "Parents are wise, and you should listen to them."

"Sometimes, they are wrong," the boy said. "Not all the time."

"They are always right when it come to their children," Smith said.

"When people are sad they need company, not being alone," the boy said. "I get the feeling you don't like being alone."

"I do not deserve the company of a child nor hold over responsibility one," Smith placed his hand on to his forehead lowering his head down.

" _It's nice to hear you telling the truth for once, Doctor Smith,_ " Will's voice came hauntingly from behind him.

"Spare me the taunting, my boy," Smith said.

The boy reached out and took Smith's slightly bigger hand.

"You're wrong," the boy said, looking up toward Smith. "You deserve company."

"I am not wrong," Smith said.

"You won't admit it," the boy said. "but you need comfort. So suck it up and accept that you can't push everyone away who want to be around you."

"That's what he would have said," Smith said, looking down toward the little boy. "Only a little less like that."

"It is what I would have said because it wasn't your fault," The boy said, then added. "Doctor Smith."

Smith yanked his hand out of the boy's hand.

"Go away," Smith said, walking away from the boy. Terrified, horrified, and his face twisted. "Shoo, shoo, shoo!"

"Why are you so afraid?" Will asked. "I am not going to hurt you."

"That's what the imposters say and I always get hurt. People always get hurt when they meet people claiming to be people they love dearly," Smith reiterated, as the other Will's innocent face became full of 'what' at the last part. "I don't want to die! I don't want to die! I'm too young to die!" 

Smith staggered back with his hands meeting a counter and he made his way from the boy. 

"You're not much different yourself," Will said, then left the room.

Smith's attention slowly grew around the room. He looked toward the chess board laid on the table. The boy's chess piece had been moved to a unoccupied part of the board that was black and white. He made his way toward the board then slowly reached his hand toward the board. He yanked his hand back like he had been stung and closed his hand. He reached his hand back out toward the black piece. He closed his hand yanking it back, briefly. The next time he reached his hand out, he picked the rounded flat object up then moved the piece forward.


	4. get

Someone entered the quarters over a hour later.

The sound of a door gently closing on its own came from behind him.

"And you must be Don West," It came from a sad, defeated man rather than the over-the-top, dramatic coward who was cool and composed when it came to his playing field. Smith slowly turned from the window feeling a little dead inside, in the direction of the individual. Smith couldn't see color clearly as he used to. It was like he were watching a old time picture. The man had a beard and a widows peak.

"No. . . Professor Robinson." John looked at Smith. "How long have you been out in space?"

"It feels like a hundred happy years. . ."  He came over toward the table. He felt a little sick inside. His stomach twisting up. A headache coming on from his head. He placed his hands onto the desk. "At least, it feels that way being aboard the Jupiter 2."

"I wouldn't describe being aboard this ship as 'happy'," John said.

"You know the guilt of throwing a ship off course?" Smith asked.

"No," John said.

"Being personally responsible for it?" Smith asked.

John stared at the man.

"No," John said.

"Rather than completing a mission and being done with it?" Smith prodded.

"Now that part I understand," John said.

"Not being the source of their pain. They would be dead, yes, but they would have been _together_. Not having to bury one of their own in space," Smith said. "A fantasy. I know it was a fantasy because I was always meant to be there during the launch, because if I hadn't sabotaged the Robot and got stuck then the Robinsons would have died in cryostasis after six months in space," Smith shook his head. "I found that out the hard way after distracting the time merchant and going back one hour before lift off. . . For once, I was fearless yesterday. That got William killed. It should have been me. They would have lost their only doctor but it would have been enough." He came toward the window then combed down his face.

"Only doctor?" John asked.  

"Only doctor," Smith said.

"What about Judy?" John said.

"Judy is a singer," Smith said, depressingly.

"I find that hard to believe as she is the one who treated you," John said.

"Then your Zachary is dead," Smith said.

"He did," John said. "He made sure we left Alpha Centauri while he distracted Global Sedition. Playing them like a fiddle. . . and then you know what he did? He set it up to take them with him should they try to kill him. We're still trying to find a way back to our time."

"How long did he last?" Smith said.

"Two years," John said. "Very difficult years."

"Of course, I have to outlast my counterparts," Smith said. "Of course."

"Where are you from?" John asked.

"Sweet green and beautiful Earth," Smith said. 

"You're from a alternate universe," John said. 

"Alternate universe inhabitants don't lose color in their eyes," Smith said.

"They don't but maybe they do. You're a first," John said. "and I am going to have Don turn this ship around."

"No," Smith said, shaking his head.  "I can't face them."

"Face who?" John asked.

"The professor and the madame," his voice carried a certain fondness to them and great respect. "Popping up would be painful for them. I like to spare them that."

"At least they know what happened," John said. "They think you're dead."

"Let them," Smith said. "Because for all I am concerned, I am dead."

A certain realization dawned on John.

"I can't face William's cor---I can't." he shook his head. "I can't do it! I can't face the man who gave away five years of his life for me and I took away his son's life! All hundred years of it! I can't go back through that cave without my best friend alive and well. If I went back, I would be exiled for good and shunned. I . . . I can't. . . I can't go back, you see?"

"How old was Will?" John asked

"Fifteen,"  Smith said. "Fifteen. . . Fifteen. . . Would you be very angry if your Zachary was responsible for it?"

"I would be," John said.

"There is no reason for me to go back," Smith said. "This time can't be forgiven."

"You were with them for five years," John said. "Surely, you've done even worse things than that."

"No," Smith said. "This _is_ the worst." Smith sighed.  "I was bound to leave the Jupiter 2 party in the first year,"  He turned from the table toward John. "people like me don't last long in space."

"You are here," John said.

"Because of William," Smith said, with a pained look on his face.

"Will is capable of doing that," John said. "Talking you out of your purgatory."

"No, you don't understand, it was for his emotional well being," Smith said. "Sometimes that applied to duplicates of me taking my place and my certain doom."

"Duplicates?" John asked.

"You are a very lucky man," Smith said, a faint but pained pleased look appeared on his face. "My counterpart was probably on his last straw with you."

"Yes, he was," John said. "We would have abandoned him at a space station with the right kind of people if we hadn't came across Alpha Centauri colonized by Global Sedition and found Dimondium to save our dying planet."

Smith's face fell at the last part.

Smith knew by the inside that his counterpart did it for money just like he did. And his employers might not have been aliens, but in fact environmental activists who had abandoned him to his fate with the Robinsons. A constant defining moment in his fate in however way it happened. Smith sat down into the red, warm chair clasping his hands. He cleared his throat, trying to find the right words to reply. And he didn't have any words to say. The green, homely planet being full of smog and darkness and a planet killing itself was cracking him bit by bit. He could see the dried up bodies of lakes in his minds eye. And yet, the idea that his counterpart loved Earth as much as he did was eyebrow raising. Uncomfortable, mean, and predictable to him. He couldn't speak up for his name. There was nothing good to speak of it in defense. He had doomed the Robinsons and perhaps--

"Did Earthlings get off Earth?" Smith asked, in a small voice looking toward John.

"We found a ship in our first space adventure," John said. "Earthly origin. They made it off."

Smith closed his eyes and regained his bearings then opened them.

"I am sorry," Smith apologized, looking up toward John. "It was a mistake to betray you." John started to approach Smith and reached his hand out for Smith's shoulder.  "Please," John's hand stopped. "Don't." John took his hand back.

"When do you feel like you can come out of this room and be alive?" John asked.

"Alive. . ." Smith said. Smith looked up toward John. "Being alive has different meanings to different people, Professor."

"Are we ever truly alive?" John said. "That's a good question. I don't have a answer for that."

"Me too," Smith said. "I don't feel alive."

"When you feel like yourself then you're alive in my book," John said, then walked out of the room leaving Smith who was rubbing his chin.


	5. her

"You know you want to go out with me tonight on this planet."

"No, Don,"

"Yes, you do,"

West felt a hand tap on his shoulder.

"Wha--"

A mean right hook knocked West to the floor.

"No means no, Donald," West looked up toward the black and white man. "Your lady deserves your respect not your dick." Smith looked up toward Judy with eyes that seemed that lacked life. "Would you like to go on a walk with me?"

"No," Judy said.

Smith nodded, his hands cupped together in his lap.

"I will go on my own," Smith glared down toward West.

Smith walked past the two making his way down the hall as West rubbed his cheek watching him leave.

Everything was so wrong. Everything about the 'Robinsons' were wrong. It was like looking a distorted reflection but through a mirror of the Robinsons. More younger and edgier than they should be---they didn't look like the family that he knew by heart. He rubbed his forehead, walking through the corridors. The other ship had landed on a planet that was full of greenery and blue sky. It could have been a planet in the Alpha Centauri system. He couldn't acknowledge this ship as a Jupiter 2. He didn't have the heart to do it. The name Jupiter 2 had become forever tied to Will Robinson. He kept his path up to the bridge. It had been two days since the collapse. 

If he were back on the Jupiter 2, he wouldn't acting as so devastated or sulking for under some circumstance that he remained. To keep up his image--yet, the imagery of eating would have been enough to be unpleasing. Eating, when Will couldn't. He was angry at himself for letting go. How could he? Smith made his way to the empty bridge then came over to the hatch. There was a small glowing blue screen with buttons that glowed in the dark. It looked strange. With the Jupiter 2, he could press a button to the panel and the doors  would operate. Smith typed in a random sequence then the doors opened before him letting light pour out. Smith looked over, feeling that he was being watched. He came down the platform then observed the scenery.

Nature was healing. Very healing to listen and watch. Smith left the spaceship going toward a rocky scenery. He walked a short distance until he came over to a lake. There was a fallen tree on the shore covered in pebbles that ranged in size. Smith sat down then put his head against the wooden log. Comfortable, calm, and peaceful. He can see birds flying over the lake. A large bird flew out of the air then dived into the water and came back out with a flopping fish. It was perfect and terrifying. Smith picked up a pebble then tossed it in the direction of the lake. He heard the sounds of boos coming from behind him. The sound of familiar blooping coming from behind. He heard the crunching of boots as he flipped a pebble up and down into his hand.

"And you must be Penelope 'Penny' Roberta Robinson," Smith said.

"You can call me Penelope if you like," Penelope offered. "I tend to like Penelope because it makes me sound older. You get it? Penny is the name of a little girl. I am not a little girl." Penny had worn her nickname with pride preferring it over Penelope. The same went for Judy and Don. They preferred their nicknames of their full first name. "Did my otherself prefer to be called Penny?" Smith tossed another toward the lake. The pebble skipped from surface to surface of the  water five times until it crashed through. "I heard Will liked to be called William by you.  I heard mom isn't a Professor where you're from and Judy is a singer," Smith turned his gaze onto her picking up another pebble. "This is Debbie."

"Bloop," Debbie said.

"A Bloop," Smith said.

"Yes," Penelope said, as Debbie leaped into his lap. 

Smith shoved the pink monkey off.

"I liked her better with hair," Smith tossed another pebble to the lake.  He looked over to see Penelope had turned the color of the stones. "Are you alright?"

"I am fine," Penelope said. "I  caught a camouflaging disease from Debbie.  That's all." she shrugged. "Doctor Smith said he was going to fix that before he died."

"He was lying to reassure you everything was going to be fine," Smith said. "I would have done the same."

"Is it?"  Smith tossed another pebble.

"No," Smith turned toward the now green girl. "You don't want to be around me."

"Because you attract danger?" Penelope said. "Newsflash! Danger is everywhere."

"Enlighten me about the danger you've seen," Smith said.

"We've been attacked by space pirates, a plant virus, alien children, the ghosts of a entire alien civilization, almost got sunk alive into a sand dune, almost got eaten alive by a Kraken! ALMOST WAS DINNER FOR THE YETI. ALMOST WAS DINNER FOR A CARNIVORES NESSIE! AND oh, you never faced gigantic lobsters, or sex slaver traders, or anything remotely extremely dangerous than a rock collapse!  So count yourself lucky that Will didn't die because he was squeezed to death, didn't suffocate under the sand, didn't get digested alive, didn't get turned into a plant, get possessed by a ghost, or being beaten to death by slave traders! Or being targeted by children capable of doing shit that you can't imagine! Or machines trying to absorb us alive turning us into them in the most painful way possible. Or being bound and gagged while being held hostage by pirates doing psychological torture."

Smith did not seem to be stirred as he watched the rippling lake.

"You never heard of Dragonian's," Smith looked toward her. "have you?"

"No," Penelope said, tilting her head. "what are they? Humanoid dragons?"

Smith shook his head.

"When your mind is at the weakest, they draw you in, they lure you in to dressing up, and they take over your body, genetically alter it bit by bit, suppress your mind when they believe they have won you over," he tapped on his left temple. "and insert a different one gradually and slowly until you're not yourself." he picked up another pebble tearing his attention off the girl.

Penelope walked in front of him then knelt down with curious eyes.

"And how did you defeat them?" Penelope asked.

Smith tossed the pebble over her head earning a perfect glide.

"Love," Smith said, then tossed another pebble over her shoulder. "The power of love."

Penelope sat alongside Smith.

"What did you catch?" Penelope asked.

Smith looked over toward her raising a eyebrow.

"Pardon?" Smith asked.

"You're black and white," Penelope said.

"I am not black and white," Smith said.

"Look at the water if you don't believe me," Penelope said.

"You're pulling my leg," Smith said.

"I don't do that to miserable people unlike you," Penelope said.

Smith glared over in Penelope's direction then came over to toward the water. He looked down toward the water and saw his reflection. A small "Oh" came from Smith. Penelope heard a sigh come from him then he leaned on to his side looking down toward the water. His own comment about feeling dead came back. He twirled his finger in the water. The blue liquid contrasted against his light gray fingers then it too became a lighter shade of gray on his fingers. There was no logic in this change. Perhaps when he felt not real, it was literal in more ways than one. Capable of interacting with the environment around him except unable to be hurt in what was certainly not his realm. It was strange processing it that way. A lie would ease her thoughts and seem more sane than the truth.

"Hope makes us glow like diamonds where I am from," Smith said.

He admired the beautiful and natural mountain scenery contrasting against the forest. The clean, breathable peaceful air was nice to be in. There was a gentle, tolerable breeze. They sat there in silence. It was a healing experience for Smith's heart. Eventually, she too left him. Smith didn't feel alone surrounded by nature even the sight of space bears searching for fish on the river banks resting side by side. They left him, too, leaving him to the company of welcomed noisy birds. Penelope returned after dinner to the scene. There were sounds of crickets from around them, owls hooting, and the soft theme of the night set in. The stars looked mysterious, awe, and unique from below rather than a hopeless maze full of planets, asteroids, dwarf planets, nebulas, and suns to name a few. From below, space was the unexplored sky that complimented against the lake side scenery. She came over with a strange bar that smelled strange. He turned his attention in the direction of where it was coming from then raised a eyebrow. 

"What is that?" Smith asked.

"Night bar surprise," Penelope said. "Wanna try it?"

"I will pass," Smith said.

"The Robot invented it in the first year," Penelope said. _With your help_ were unsaid words.

"He does has some use in food preparation," Smith admitted. "I'll give him that."

"Uh huh," Penelope said.

"Where is Debbie?" Smith asked.

"I put her to bed," Penelope said.

"And so should you," Smith said.

"Says the one who is still up," Penelope said.

"That is different," Smith argued.

"Not really," Penelope said. "I am sure he would want you to perform self-care."

"William. . " It was painful to say his name. "Would. . ." Let alone talk about him in the past tense. 

Yet, every time Smith found the courage to talk about him. 

"Why don't you do that for him?" Penelope asked.

The initial heartbreaking pain was fading over the passing hours. 

"You never lost your brother," Smith said. "You always had him. He is always there.  He is still alive because I am _dead_. I am dealing with my pain the best way I can."

"We nearly lost him on some occasions," Penelope said. "We didn't always escape with him and Doctor Smith."

"Of course I would stay behind for him," Smith said.

"No, Will stayed behind for him," Penelope said. "Going off after Doctor Smith when dad told him not to."

"They're not so different after all when it comes down to it," Smith said. "Not listening to his father."

Penelope placed the synthetic napkin with the bar on the boulder.

"You really cared about him," Penelope said.

"Yes. . ." Smith said. "I did."

He had small, faint smile appear on his face looking back at a cherished memory.

"I don't expect you to stay out here long," Penelope sounded concerned looking toward him. "Do I?"

"If there is a space cougar, then yes," Smith said, then dismissed her. "Go on, Penelope."

Penelope got up from the log.

"Good night, Doctor Smith," Penelope said, then walked away.

Smith reached his hand out toward the bar then picked it up along with the napkin.


	6. as

When Smith began his return to the other space ship, it had started becoming daylight. He knew it was becoming morning because the dark sky was getting lighter before his eyes. No one was likely to be up at this ungodly hour. He felt tired and more of his age than anything. The undeniable devastation still lingered on in the man. He walked up the familiar ramp expecting to be the only earthling still awake on this foresaken planet. A loud yawn knocked Smith back into reality. Smith turned in the direction of the front console to see West sitting in the pilots chair waiting for him with folded arms. West looked at Smith long and hard in a way seemingly surprised by the way that he was.

"So it's not just the lighting," West said.

"Spare me your unnecessary jokes, West," Smith said.

"It's Major to you," West said.

"Not when you treat Doctor Robinson the way you do you're not," Smith said, shaking his head. "Not by a long shot."

"Okay, I admit it," West said. "I am terrible at dating women."

"Dating women should be like hanging out with your best friend," Smith said.

"Doctor Smith was okay with it," West said. "He could have pointed this out."

"My counterpart only _tolerated_ you because you were the pilot," Smith said. "How he did it is beyond me. You're fortunate that you have not brought this treatment on a space princess."

"Like that is ever going to happen," West said.

"You will find that happening," Smith said. "one way or another." Smith rubbed the side of his temple then walked on from West.

West walked after him.

"Alright, alright," West said, getting in his way. "Do you have dating advice?"

"Look at the way you treat her in her shoes," Smith said. "Imagine if she treated you that way."

"Oh," West said,  as Smith stepped aside. "Oh." He turned toward the man. "I can't make up for that!"

"If she is dating you, obviously she thinks you can," Smith said. "I don't see it but she _does_. You're thinking like a Don West, now." Smith's hands were clasped behind his back stepping aside from West. "So it's a good start to being in a relationship with a beautiful, capable Doctor Robinson."

Smith walked away from West.


	7. a

"Hello there, Doctor Robinson. . . or should I call you Judith?" Smith greeted Judith.

Judith came forward from behind Smith then came to his side.

"Doctor Robinson," Judith said.  "And what do I call you?"

"Doctor Smith," Smith said, then observed the doctor while leaning against the Astronavigator. "My presence here must be opening old wounds."

"Not to me," Judith said. "He left us last year." She looked at the starcharts. "What are you looking for?"

"Nothing," Smith said. "I am trying to make sense of this astronavigator." his grayed eyes darted in different directions at the floating hologram.

"It is hard to do that when you're focused on a microscopic universe," Judith said. 

Smith turned his head toward Judith. 

"How did you get a starchart of a microscopic universe?" Smith asked.

Judith had a laugh at it.

"Funny story. Doctor Smith and Will were out exploring one day when they came across a small, rectangle device and brought it back the Jupiter 2. He fiddled with it, played with it, and the next we knew, we were small. It was different from the one you know as the bacteria world. We thought we had shrunk at first until it became evident that we hadn't. We had been transferred to a very large one through that machine after the Robot had scanned it thoroughly. We fought against ants, beetles, scorpions, and do you know what a centipede is like as a foe? Don tamed one, how, he hasn't told me. "

"How did that make you feel?" Smith asked.

"Jealous," Judith said.

"You're no different from Judy," Smith said.

A bright smile grew on Judith's face.

"After we had went into space in that universe, we felt like ants just  waiting to be squashed by the next shoe. . ." Judith went on. "We never knew from one day to the next if there was a Earth with people our size or a Alpha Centauri system that still existed. Alpha Prime A waiting to be colonized. If the next meteorological storm would kill us because it could. Small enough to be wiped out by the smallest of all things that were now big problems. I don't know how Doctor Smith did it, from day to day," she shook her head. "just complaining about the Jupiter and making the Robot do his bidding. His mind not breaking apart at what was going on around him. He was stronger than he looked. We were wrong about him."

"Survivors are always stronger than they look," Smith said. "That doesn't change for Robinsons."

"Five years out there, you must know us in and out," Judith said.

"You're different," Smith replied. "I do not know you." he met her eyes, sadly and sincerely. _I wish I did._ "I didn't think you as a doctor before."

Judith sighed, looking up at the holographic screen in a fond manner.

"Didn't think Doctor Smith would be the one to hold therapy sessions with us and make sure we dealt with the new reality properly. The first month was rough for us in the microscopic universe. He took it in stride. He didn't change much in the first year in the regular universe but he had changed from being a drug addict, spy, a saboteur," she stopped unable to continue. "I got him back on his feet after the Kiss Bliss addiction. He was miserable afterwards."

Smith nodded along in understanding.

"How do you go through day to day without breaking apart?" Judith said.

"Having someone to talk to eases space rapture," Smith said.

"What is that?" Judith asked.

"Going mad in space," Smith said. "Nothing like the rapture you know of. Every living being vanishing. ."

"That's even insane," Judith said.

"I agree," Smith said. "Now, continue on about the microscopic universe."

"I was even more jealous when Don tamed a bearded dragon. Fortunately, that bearded lizard saved us several times. Doctor Smith lead him there, well sort of, after he was scared by a gigantic spider on a beach. You should have seen it. The Jupiter 2 on the hot, vast beach. The size of a seashell." Judith seemed to be lost in thought looking back at the memory. "We spent the day on the beach before we left, again. Thankfully, we had gotten enough fuel to last us three  months. . . three months to figure out how to become big in a microscopic universe," she grew a faint smile. "It was the best months of our life."

"Best months?" Smith asked, perplexed.

"We laughed more," Judith said.

"Ah, I see," Smith said. "It was your golden age."

"If that's what you like to think of it," Judith said, earning a nod. "We got to watch baby turtles make their way to the shore. They were giant turtles to us but they were so small. If you like to think of it, it took us being small to see how insignificant some of our problems were." Smith could visualize Will sitting on a shell watching the sight unfold with the Robot resting beside him and him watching in awe at the scene. The colors of orange hovering in the sky above the beautiful, blue rippling ocean. Penny being there too alongside her brother holding onto Debbie watching it unfold. "Before we became small, our problems were. . . when you look at it. . . small and insignificant that we made big and extremely important. They were different from the every day threats that animals faced."

"Sounds like you were on vacation," Smith said.

"You don't realize how sometimes your mistakes turn out to be gifts, Doctor Smith," Judith said, emotionally. "You give us what we need when we least want it."

Smith shook his head.

"You make it into something good, dear Judith," Smith said, dropping the formality briefly. "That's what Robinsons do. That's the only thing both Robinsons share between my universe, however dark or bright it may be."

"Will was the first one of us to find a way to go back," Judith went on. "The Robot was the second to figure out how to work the device and then, he too left. Smith was next, because he was there, and then he was back a hour later so terrified and scared claiming that he was doomed and whimpering. Will was safe, he assured us that, how. . . I don't know. Will always finds a way to keep himself safe. A resourceful twelve year old back then. Will isn't as happy as he used to be  since last year. Happy but not that happy." She began to change the subject.  "Don knocked some sense into Smith so he could talk about what happened and how he undid the change. Afterwards. . .  The funny thing is, Smith wanted to stay in the microscopic world claiming he would survive there easily."

"He didn't," Smith said.

"Oh, yes, he did," Judith said

"How long did that last?" Smith asked.

"He stayed over there for. . . I can't be sure, a month? Tops. Not sure, he was more at peace with his condition after that. Living among monsters. Becoming a monster himself. Didn't change his complaining, cowering, and how he back stabbed others."

"But. . ."  Smith said.

"I wish I had that kind of peace with space," Judith said.

"That kind of peace takes time to be found," Smith said. "He found it first on his personal journey and I don't recommend that you take that."

"My survival relies on this ship," Judith said. "I am not that brave as him."

"That's a funny way of characterizing me," Smith said. "I was never that."

"Sure sure, Doctor Smith," Judith said.

"Say," Smith said. "How do you work this?"

"You do this," Judith said, gliding her fingers on the screen. "And this."

A series of holographic files appeared on the screen and continued to help Smith become acquainted to it. His black and white theme remained unchanged but the occasional glow in the instruction session was unsettling. Smith's eyes were intent on the view screen. It was like he was on a very important mission based off the questions that she was answering and asked about the smallest details. If these questions made him get the desire to live again, then she was going to help him along the way. And she knew, it could just mean that he was adapting to his new predicament in a much more advanced setting. She could smell something strange from his pocket but shrugged it off as that he was going to use the sonic laundry machine the next morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Space Rapture is mentioned in the episode where Smith accidentally takes Will and the Robot planet side. And this planet gives lots of illusions. I figured Space Rapture means going insane.
> 
> Edited the conversation, specifically about being stronger than what anyone looks because I felt like I was over praising Smith's character and instead make it apply to the Robinsons as well. Because let's face it, as survivors, they are stronger than they look as a family.


	8. family

It had been five days since Will had died.

The large, giant spaceship metal creaked and groaned as it flew back into space. The landing gear withdrawing back into the belly of the spaceship. Smith was resting against his ledge in contemplation. Contemplating the past in a sad manner. The humming of the spaceship was music to his ears. Including the silence that he had personally created by sabotaging any relationship with Will. Not replying, not moving a piece from the chess in the last few days, or talking to Penelope. She left behind the mystery bars for him. Her consideration for his well being was greatly appreciated. He knew what they were considering just to make him eat. And force feeding wasn't going to be in the cards. He would eat, just not right now. He was saving them for a much more useful purpose as his rations. He had a small collection of food gathered in his pocket that had a unique smell. The sonic laundry had done wonders to his Jupiter 2 outfit making it seem warm and new. And fuzzy.

He had the mystery bars wrapped up in the napkins. He had them all slid into his pockets. He waited until he heard the other Robinsons call to each other "Good night" just as they had in the last few nights that he had been aboard their ship. A lovely family fit for a dark universe like this that had its bright moments at times. They were going to die in the coldness of space if they kept this up without the Robot to save them. It was where he belonged. He quietly strolled down the corridors then came to a large doorway. He pressed on a console then put in a number, coldly and causally. The door opened to reveal where the dark gray space pods were resting in neatly made lines. There were hundreds of them that looked different from the one that he was familiar to. His eyes were large and curiosity was perked. They were rounded with four legs on each end that had deactivated light fixtures. They were far from the planet by several hours. He held the rounded disk in his hand playing with it carefully in between his fingers.

Smith strolled his way to the hangar bay then climbed up the familiar three steps up to the top. He turned the hatch door then lifted it open. At least that wasn't too different. The hatch door opened before him to reveal a familiar entrance. It was more updated and dark compared to space pod that he knew full well that had seats across from the main console. He went to the front of the machine then slid in the disk into one of the slots. The interior of the dark room glowed bright blue before his light gray eyes. He flipped the dark gray switches above his head one by one activating the legs. The legs hummed to life. He looked down toward the familiar big, fat button on the console. It had to be red. It was the last time he had pressed it and sent  him, the robot, and Will down toward a planet of illusions. That was his fault. Smith accepted that it was his fault for Will's fate, too. He pressed on the button, gently. The space pod gently lifted up from the ground.

He pressed the dark buttons at random trying to figure out a way to steer it. The space pod floated down and up repeatedly going in different directions as he acquainted himself to what each function of the button was.The door to the space pod slammed shut as it floated above the space pods that made him jump. Smith shook his head, muttering "Good heavens, Zachary. . ." then recomposed himself. He scanned the buttons with a rough idea of how they operated. He pressed a series of lighter numbered buttons across activating a sequence. The hangar bay very slowly lifted down to reveal the vastness of space. A map appeared alongside the center of the view screen that had a glowing red dot and a blue floating round of text that read 'Destination'. He flew the space pod above the doubles making minor adjustments to the course heading in the direction of the hangar door. It came out of the spaceship. Smith flipped the switches one by one rewinding the sequence. The door closed behind the space pod.

"Let's see how fast you can go, dear," Smith said, then pressed on a recently installed button.

Stars became long, thin bolts in the view screen. Smith's eyes darted to the map displaying the space pod moving faster than the speed of light. They were using more advanced technology for the space pod in this universe or it was just a test subject. The mere suggestion that the Robinsons had made a clear break through that could bring them to Alpha Centauri was very shocking for the least. He was in disbelief about the subject, entirely. His family wouldn't have made this quite of a leap years into the mission. He took out a warm, smelly mystery bar from his pocket then quietly unfolded it  until it's dull, colorless theme stared back at him. He took a bite out of it. It tasted sour then eventually sweet and then it tasted like chicken. Smith's eyes wondered in contemplation over the subject. It was a very compelling, intriguing subject. He found himself missing his family. Less advanced, more homely, and more bright. He took another bite from the mystery bar.

"ETA is one day and thirty-five minutes," came a woman's voice from around him.

Smith looked up.

"And without this.  . . warp drive?" Smith asked.

"One week,"  came the reply.

"A interactive AI," Smith said, in awe. "This is not earthling technology."

"Bloop," came a familiar noise.

Smith's look of awe faded until it became a irritable, annoyed expression. Smith slowly turned in the direction of the source. He faced the dark wall. One part of the wall looked fine except for the shape of two figures that were equally different and the other looked wrinkly, crinkled as though it were a blanket being used. It almost tricked him had it been something wasn't a blanket such as a cover. He folded his arms, then shook his head in disappointment. His plans were always foiled by Will going along and sometimes the Robot was dragged in. If he were right, Penelope had come along for the ride.

"Drop your masks," Smith said. "I am not going back to drop you off."

The blanket was slid off and the two figures that had blended into the wall became more apparent to his eyes as though their real colors had become more pronounced. They were still black and white to his vision. How could he have not noticed this distortion in the first place? He was in the moment and very focused on his task, that could be the best logical. Or that they were not there in the first place. They had sneaked in after he had, quietly. He placed his hands on his hips glaring at the siblings.

"We want to help you," Penelope said.

"It is too dangerous," Smith said.

"You are going after the Robot," Will said.

"Like you thought no one would expect that?" Penelope asked.

"And stealing a space pod?" Will asked

"Bloop," Debbie said.

"You always pick the ones at the front to make your escape," Penelope said. "You always use this one."

"You always use your disk to turn it on," Will said.

"Which slips in a bad virus that cuts it off from the  Jupiter 2 so it wouldn't be manually sent back while you were doing something shady," Penelope said. "Where you are going you need help to successfully pull off the rescue mission."

"We know the insides of it and you don't," Will said.

"And they don't allow the help of a little ol' earthling?" Smith asked. "They don't need doctors? You don't expect doctors to be spies or saboteurs."

"So that is your game plan," Will said.

"They never met Doctor Smith," Smith said. "It's bullet proof."

"They have Robots that are capable of scanning your mind and finding your intentions," Will said. "It's a long story how we ended up in there."

"You were searching for supplies and you wandered in with the Robot," Smith said. "Penelope followed along because she feels responsible over you. The two of you were captured. The Robot lead a brave effort to set you free and there was a big risk that whoever you were dealing with could go to your family and kill them. The Robot was taken as collateral for breaking in to the facility and helping the two of you escape. Am I missing anything?"

"No," Will said. "you got it."

"It does seem I need help that won't be spotted," Smith said, then he knelt down to the siblings and placed his hands on their shoulders. "Let's start from the beginning of this plan . . . What direction did the security come pouring out?"


	9. Doctor

Smith finished eating his mystery bar as difficult as it was to stop himself from trying to throw it up. The bad feeling was sitting in his gut. Like it shouldn't be there at all. He twiddled his fingers sitting in a chair along the ride on a chair watching the stars pass by. The children were playing chess. A game that he found them playing when it came to being bored. He was relieved that Will hadn't asked him to play. He closed his eyes then started to snore. Penelope and Will slowly looked over in the direction of the man with his head slowly lifting up and down. Debbie rested in his lap falling fast asleep curled up. Debbie was a three year old Bloop almost like a little child resting in his arms holding onto him.

Smith was fast asleep for most of the trip. There was no radio contact with the spaceship. As though they were too far away to make contact. Penelope was sure that they were on their way several hours behind and weren't going to make it on time. Smith's pockets smelled bad and his breath stunk. Smith didn't change positions as he sat in the chair alongside the console.  So the remaining hours they had spent was making sure the space pod didn't crash into a asteroid, passed by solar flares, missed oncoming spaceships, and made sure to duck random meteorological storms or a ion storm for that matter. They took turns doing it. Penelope took the first watch and Will took the second then so on. Smith was fast asleep throughout the ride. Debbie enjoyed the moderately cold body in between naps. So when they had seen the planet oncoming, they came to Smith's sides then shook him by the shoulder.

"Wake up!" Will and Penelope said repeatedly.

"Madame, I am sorry!" Smith bolted up with a emotional cry sending Debbie bolting off into Penelope's arms.

Smith placed his hands on both temples, trembling, with a shaky breath.

"We're here," Penelope said, taking her hand off Smith's shoulder as did Will.

"Oh good," Smith said, then combed his hair neatly back. He stood up then looked toward the view screen. "Gorgeous planet. Would make a nice vacation spot."

"It has nothing on Alpha Prime A," Will said.

"Any planet can be Alpha Prime A," Smith said. "When you have home traveling with you."

Smith pressed a button then the space pod made its descent down.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Penelope asked.

"In my time being lost in space with the Robinsons, I found home. A place where I was supposed to be. It took me awhile to find that but I found it. I had it. Home isn't fancy. Home isn't just lavish or beautiful, it is where you want to be and your heaven. .  ." Smith said. "As the saying goes, heaven is a place you make on Earth." He had a chuckle to himself, fondly and sadly with a droplet of amusement.

"I don't think that's a saying," Will said.

"Bloop," Debbie said.  "Bloop."

"It is now," Penelope said. "I guess you can say I just didn't know how lucky  I am."

"Family is home, children," Smith said, then looked toward them. "Don't you forget that."

"I won't,"  Will said, Smith turned his attention back on the screen. "I won't."

He felt along his grown beard along his face while carefully making adjustments down to the surface to keep it from burning up. Penelope and Will hung onto the rail support compared to the still, unbothered gray man. The space pod tore through the atmosphere until it came to the blue sky.  The space pod lowered through the sky. Once the ground was in sight, Smith slowly flipped the switches one by one. The space pod floated safely down to a green hill. Smith turned the knob then stepped out of the space pod. The children noticed that he had a laser belt with a strange, thin light gray gun dangling from it. Where he got it was a mystery. Debbie leaped up onto Smith's shoulder with a bloop and wrapped its tail around his shoulder changing to pitch black.

"What kind of gun is that?" Penelope asked.

"Ah," Smith pat on it lightly. "Safety precaution."

"I get that, but I never seen anything like it," Penelope said. "It looks really expensive."

Smith turned toward the space pod.

"You never seen a laser pistol," Smith said, cocking a brow up.

"A laser pistol doesn't look like that," Will said.

"Do tell me you have seen more than one type of space gun," Smith said,

"Yes, but they were always bulky and threatening," Penelope said. "Not long and slender."

"Let's go," Smith said, beckoning the children. "This despicable monkey stays."

"Debbie goes," Penelope said.

"If you are responsible for this abomination in the species of Bloop Gorillas then you will lose it in the most painful way possible, be put into danger that wasn't planned or make danger that threatens everyone involved that gets us killed," Smith said. "I cannot afford anyone else to die because of my volunteering. One less person," he pointed toward Debbie. "To worry about."

"Oh," the siblings said.

"Debbie, in," Penelope said, gesturing toward the inside of the space pod. 

Debbie jumped off Smith's arm landing to the grass.

"Bloop, bloop, bloop," Debbie said, then hopped back into the space pod.

Penelope closed the pod behind the monkey. Smith slid the rounded risk into his pocket then turned away from the pod. A warm gust of air blew through the green, wet grass. There was a facility up ahead surrounded by several trees that seemed to be pine in nature. It is just the way they were clustered together and the way they had shape. Several trees that could be used for Christmas with left over pieces of snow. It reminded the doctor strongly of a train set that was highly detailed from train station, animals, to the texture of the grass. Smith turned back toward the children then gestured them back  with a wave of his finger. Will was shivering. They went back in then came out with insulated coats and Will quickly closed the door.

"Why are you not warmly dressed?" Penelope asked.

"I am not cold," Smith asked, earning a concerned look from Will.

"Are you okay?" Will inquired

"A jacket will do for me, dear Penelope," Smith said, taking out a binoculars from his belt. He held it up then got a better view of the facility looking around for the weak points. There were many weak points that could be exploited under the cover of night and easily broken into. It was too easy. Smith smelled a trap. The sun was setting down over the hill. He zipped up the jacket completely so that it hugged his figure warmly. He slid the warm, furry hood over his head. "So that is where your friend is being held?"

"He might not be there anymore, so let's go back," Will said, as Smith lowered the binoculars.

Smith turned toward the boy then held up his finger.

"Now see here, boy," Smith said. "Robinsons don't leave one of their own behind. I don't count. The Robot counts because he is family."

"You do count," Will said.

"I don't," Smith said, then looked on toward the facility. "Penelope, are you ready to play your part?"

"Not my first rodeo," Penelope said.

"Based off the miles between us and that, we may have around thirty-five miles between us and them," Smith said. "Your flashlights are green energy are they not?"

"Yes," Will said.

"Good," Smith said, putting the binoculars away. "Then the only thing you'll have to be afraid of tonight is one thing."

Penelope groaned.

"Don't tell me it's a bear," Penelope said.

"No," Smith said. "It is _me_. Come along, children."

Smith turned away from the children then walked on ahead toward the facility leaving them confused then shrug it off.


	10. Smith

Smith finished his next bar then handed the other two to the children beckoning them to eat on their way down to the facility then put away the synthetic napkins back into his pocket. Smith had two bars left to tide him over. There were space moose lingering about the scenery. A sight that Smith did not miss quite a bit when it came to moose. Except these had more than two eyes, they had four eyes that seemed very disturbing. Four eyes must mean this planet was dangerous than it looked. They had to carefully avoid the space moose while making their way to the facility. They hid behind the large pine trees. Smith had a rough idea of what was going to happen. He looked over toward the children and nods were returned to him. Their dark, warm hoods were up over their heads.

They came to the weak point to the building.

"That wasn't there before," Penelope remarked.

"Ladies first," Smith said, kneeling down. "Gentlemen go second."

"Aren't you concerned about that wall?" Penelope asked, raising a eyebrow. "It could be armed with little bugs capable of going into your ear and killing you in a violent way. Bleeding all over, having seizures, and foam forming in the mouth or eyes becoming so big they pop right out of our eye sockets."

Smith had a hand on his knee not very phased by the throw away lines of potential danger.

As Doctor Smith, he had been as cautious and terrified as she was about blindly going in to danger. That persona wasn't going to do much good rescuing the Robot. Smith nodded, she was right about the possible danger. He accepted that risk and they had too accepted that risk going with him. He knew she was suggesting they could find another way but the gate way in to the building was blocked off and they couldn't be big damn heroes. Because if they did that then they would be quickly surrounded after making their aesthetically pleasing entrance. For this occasion, he had to be Colonel Smith.

He looked back up toward the wall scanning it with his eyes then on toward the children.

"Not when there is bricks sticking out," Smith said, pointing toward the climbing stones. "Do you really think they would purposely hide deadly bugs in there?"

"Bugs like hiding in dark places," Will said.

"Ask yourself this," Smith said. "Would it fair well with technology? Wet? Dirty? Corner?"

"No," Penelope said.

"It's not a electrified barrier, so count your blessings with that," Smith said.

"Sounds like you got experience with that," Penelope said.

"Galactic Tribunal of Justice came after me once," Smith said. "William dug me a way out."

"What do you mean there's a Galactic Tribunal Council?" Penelope asked. "Like, have we done crimes that we're unaware of?"

"Cool," Will said. "we could be the first colonists who are criminals."

"Don't worry about it, dear children," Smith said. "It took them a year to come after us."

"So that's a yes,"  Will said.

"Penelope," Smith said. "Up."

Smith tossed the children up one by one. Penny held a hand out so he took it then climbed up the barrier using the stones as his support to get up. He fell to the floor with a thud then hid under the railing as a faint red light passed on above them. He looked over toward the children. How could they have possibly gotten in the way they had with the Robot. Penny mouthed back 'Open door'. Smith shook his head and rolled his gray eyes. He looked over in the source of the red light then aimed the laser pistol  at the illuminating light. Smith fired three times. The light stopped illuminating from the center. Smith looked over the edge to see a stair case. There were strange spiky covered guards in armor that was similar to ones he had seen before but it was thicker and heavier. He glanced off toward the children raising his eyebrows. Will and Penelope shared a shrug. So they hadn't been there the first time around, either.

It was strange.

As though the aliens expected a rescue mission to be launched for the Robot.

It was compelling enough to wonder about it.

The logical explanation was that they were used to parties coming back for the collateral. They probably had a plan set up to catch all the Robinsons. Only they weren't going to catch the Robinsons as they liked to. It satisfied Smith's question regarding the truth. They have been waiting for days for this rescue mission to be squashed. He rubbed his stubble looking down toward guard by guard. He then fired his laser pistol on the figures knocking them down. The door was up ahead apparently unguarded. If what he had been told by Will about the door was true it wasn't going to be easy getting in this time around. He gestured the children to come with him while keeping himself lowered. They came to the door to the building. Penelope slipped over a small keyboard to him as he slid open the panel. He connected a cord to the keyboard then watched the screen boot up. His fingers flew on the screen typing in a virus. He disconnected the keyboard then handed it off to Penelope. The doors to the building smoothly opened.

"I just used a very effective door virus," Smith said. "We have one hour."

"One hour!" Will said.

"You said we would have two," Penelope said.

"This is a very different system and it is already working on the virus," Smith said. "One of us won't come back," he gestured in ominously while tightening his grip on the laser pistol. "Go."

The children went in as Smith looked around one last time to make sure that was one was watching then went in after them.


	11. Or

The security team were playing a game of cosmic cards that featured the cosmos. A relatively bigger variation of the game of cards invented on Earth a long time ago that represented a monarchy with diamonds and colorful characters. The loud, high pitch shriek of the alarm sent made the lazying officers stop what they were doing then put on their helmets and run after the sector that was invaded. They passed by several large, dark brown cargo boxes. Soon as they passed, Smith and Will poked their heads out. Smith leaped over the box then helped Will down to the floor. They moved quickly down the hall vanishing in the next turn. From behind them, Penny was escorted to the next room. Smith and  Will  looked over watching the security team enter into the room then stood up straight. They unzipped their warm outfits down to the center of their chest continuing their stroll down the hall.

"Where is the Robot being held?" Smith asked.

"I recall he was taken into a room full of junk," Will  said.

"Just because they look like junk doesn't mean they are junk," Smith said. "Everything is not what it seems."

"How are you certain about that?" Will said.

"That's a story for another time, Will," Smith replied.

"Ah ha, this is it!" Will came over toward the console.

Smith placed his hand on the console then yanked it back. The doors opened softly before the two.

"They're hoarders," Smith said, going forward.

"Junk hoarders," Will said, coming to Smith's side.

"Is the Robot junk to you?" Smith asked, looking down toward Will.

"No," Will said, as the doors closed behind them. "He is my friend."

"Doesn't sound like it," Smith said. "You call them _junk_ hoarders."

"I did word that wrong,"  Will said. "They are just hoarders."

"That, you did. . .Everything here holds significance to someone, valuable, priceless," Smith said, as he picked up a small machine with four legs. The lights flickered on and off faintly inside the center. "They are relics just like I am."

Smith carefully placed it down then looked on.

"Just because you're old doesn't mean you are a relic," Will said.

"Well said," Smith said, lightly patting on the device. The light finally went out inside the device.

"I see the Robot!" Will said, going after the tall machine 

"Will!" Smith said, as Will became distant going over pieces of what seemed to be vine. "Watch where you are going!"

"Robot!" Will shouted. "Robot!"

Smith caught up with the boy taking his time. He came to a stop once seeing the familiar Robot with new treads. He didn't look that much different with his upper torso. Smith approached the Robot. The familiar colorful plastic disk, the familiar neck, the familiar neck support, and the familiar bubble chest theme. The arms were short and stubby like with claws on each end. There was a long arm on the back end that was longer than the rest. The treads were long and dark, more visible, like a tank but only a lot smaller. Smith approached the familiar machine as Will went to work reactivating him using a small keyboard. He slid the keyboard back into his pocket. The Robot's head bobbed up then waved its arms in the air.

"DANGER, WILL ROBINSON," The Robot wheeled toward Smith.  "DANGER!"

"Ssshh," Will said. "He's with me."

"He is your friend?" The Robot turned toward the boy.

"It was his idea," Will said, gesturing toward Smith. "We're rescuing you."

"That is foolish and irresponsible," The Robot said.

"I can't bring your other friend back but I can bring a Robot back," Smith said.

"It is not a logical choice," The Robot  said. "The choice would be not to bring Will Robinson into danger."

"I had to come," Will said. "He had no choice."

"Out of the conversation!" The Robot replied, his grill growing a threatening red.

"He would have died without having one of his trust worthy and reliable family members with him!" Smith argued back.

"You do not know that," The Robot replied.

Smith sighed, as a look that said he did grew on his face.

"If you only knew," Smith said, softly to himself shaking his head.

"What was that?" The Robot asked.

"Your friend was very unhappy!" Smith raised his voice, glaring hard and long at the Robot. "Who do you think I am? Hmm? Letting him remain that way?"

"Someone with _common sense_ ," The Robot said.

"Letting a little boy be without his mechanical friend? His trusted cylon? His teacher? His guardian!" He unfolded his arms. "A sad little boy is more likely to go into danger rather than stay out of it." 

"No? They do not?" The Robot phrased its replies in the form of questions. "Depressed children do not wander out as often---"

"You senseless machine, you scrap of bolts, you rusting trash heap, you out dated library of parenting," A big smile grew on Will's face. Will noticed that Smith was getting brighter visibly from black and white but not quite there, yet. The Robot's sensors detected the rare smile from Will as his head whirred toward the boy then back on the rambling human. "---And did I mention you're very easy to insult? I can go at this all day."

"My sensors detect you cannot. Your hypotheses are inconclusive and has not been tried," The Robot said. Smith frowned in return. "I do not see evidence that points to it. Will Robinson has his family and Major West to protect him from danger.  They make sure he does not walk into a dangerous situation. You, on the other servo, walk right into it and take anyone around you for the ride! Which makes you a threat to the Robinsons. You are dangerous. You do not think things through. You make up plans as you go just like someone I used to know. . . My old colleague has a name for people like you," Smith scoffed.  "ninny."

Smith's eyes grew big, keeping a tight grip onto his hands.

"Robot!" Will said. "That is not nice. Apologize to him."

"Being honest comes with pain and hurt," The Robot said. "He must face that he has put himself into a no-win situation."

"Apologizing will not be necessary," Smith said. "Because you're right."

The Robot's head bobbed up in surprise.

"He just wants to help," Will said.

"If he wants to help then why does he have a gun on him?" The Robot asked.

"It's for the guards," Smith said. "You see," he tapped along the laser pistol. "Protection."

"I got them distracted!" Penelope appeared beside Smith and the doctor screamed jumping onto the Robot's back. "We have a few minutes to get out of here."

"Indeed, indeed," Smith said, casually stepping off the Robot. "Did you get what I asked?"

Penelope handed Smith the rounded object.

"I don't know why you'll need it when we got the Robot to plow us through the wall," Penelope said.

"Shooting it down would take too long," Smith said. "Penelope, Will, the next round of this plan might not go the way I planned so the best way to do this is by using a little game of catch the chicken."

"One of us is going not getting out of here. . ." Will repeated, as it dawned on him looking toward the man.  
  
"Who's going to be the chicken?"  Smith straightened the jacket.  
  
"I am," Smith said, then handed the device to Will.  "You have excellent throw . . . right?"  
  
"No, no, no," Will said, shaking his head. "You're not doing that to me again!"  
  
Smith's hands were placed on the boy's shoulders.

"The only people who survive heroic stories are the cowards," Smith said. "Cowards never die. And besides, I am going to be held in a cell until they can transfer me somewhere that is similar to prison. . ." he observed the children. "Now, the three of you are to make it to the space pod and return home."  
  
Will shook his head.  
  
"I don't want to," Will said.  
  
"You parents don't want you to stay behind and be captured with me," Smith said. "Would they?"

"No," Will said, in a small voice.  
  
"You make it real difficult for people to stick to their decisions, you know that?"  Penelope asked.  
  
"I am good at what I do," Smith said, standing up from the boy. He rubbed his forehead.  "Oh, the pain. The pain."

There was a series of strange beeps that came from the Robot.  
  
"Doctor Smith?" The Robot said,  Smith lowered his hand then grasped on to it turning his gaze onto him.  
  
"Why hello there," Smith said. "booby."  
  
The Robot's head bobbed up then wheeled toward the man. Smith started to step back but not in time enough for the Robot as he wrapped his longer arm around the doctor's back. His lower, awkward arms were against Smith's waist as he mimicked the sound of weeping. His grill glowed a gentle red. Smith smacked the Robot's chest plating as the red alert sound whined through the room.

"I am never letting go," The Robot.

"I promise you I am not going to die here," Smith insisted.

"This lie is not comforting," The Robot said. "As are the ones you told me at Alpha Prime A."

"What sort of lies require you holding on to me and sabotage the chances of the children's escape?" Smith asked.

The Robot had a brief pause.

"I know you care about them too," The Robot said.

The sound of doors opened then Smith waved the children off gesturing toward the tight corners of the room that had stacks of junk piled on together. Penny took Will by the hand forcing him away from Smith. Smith turned his head away from the children listening to the sound of their boots become distant.  His eyes were laid on the oncoming security that were growing larger and larger before his eyes.

"Not a word," Smith whispered.

The leader of the group, Captain Bishop, approached Smith.

"How did you get stuck in this?"  Bishop asked.

"You see, I was trying to get this machine out of here and it was working," Smith said. "Until it became erratic and---"

"Trying to get a piece of the Robinsons junk back and it backfired on you," Bishop said. "I am afraid you can't take that."

"I was almost successful if it hadn't been for this whiny, imperfect machine," Smith said, bitterly

"Joseph, Brakely, get him out," Bishop said. "tear the arms off."

"No, don't tear the arms off!" Smith cried.

  Bishop's eyebrows furrowed.

"And why?" Bishop asked.

"Because you can do it the old fashioned way," the guards surrounded Smith and the Robot. "Giving it a good kick!"

"That is a very expensive piece of technology," Bishop said. "we're going to be taking it apart anyway and use it to repair the drones that the birds destroyed last week."

"Drones, you say. . . " Smith said. "If you tear these claws off, I think the appendages won't come back together easily. It's fragile."

"And how do you know that?" Bishop asked.

"I happen to be very familiar to this Robot,"  Smith said, sheepishly.

"Hm, the stories I heard is that there are seven Robinsons not eight," Bishop said. "You are only a thief."

Smith watched the children's figures go around the officers then dart down the hall.  They hid behind another stack along the doorway that seemed curve and twist. Smith relaxed, keeping his gaze on the captain to his side.

"Not just a thief," Smith said. "I can create a AI. Programming one for that matter."

"You are not Doctor Smith," Bishop said. "That man died a long time ago by his condition."

"That condition is no more, gentlemen," Smith said, as the officers stepped back. "Very much cured, thank you."

"The man who is half spider," Bishop said, remaining where he stood. "I don't believe you."

"Then kick the Robot if you don't want me crushing it in half," Smith said.

"Joseph," Bishop said, then a tall blonde man came to his side and kicked the Robot's treads.

Smith fell to the floor landing on his back.

"Ow," Smith said. "My delicate back."

The Robot's arms lowered down and Smith was lifted to his feet.

"I am going to go through the proper channels and get you taken to the Galactic Institute of Science," Bishop said.

"What is this facility?" Smith asked, gesturing his hand. "I heard this place was for machine hoarding."

"Weapons testing," Bishop said.

"For a vacation spot?" Smith asked, raising a eyebrow. 

"That's the ruse we're going under," Bishop said. "Getting cured took your color away. The cost must have been horrible."

"Trust me," Smith said, then yanked his arms out of the men's grip. "It was." he dusted off his shoulder padds. "I was restricted in my quarters and kept back from joining them planet side because they were so concerned about me," He dusted off his jacket. "I don't need to be man handled to my cell."

"Make me be certain of that," Bishop said.

"Tell and I shall do it," Smith replied.

"Where's your spaceship?" Bishop said.

"In the mountains, I crash landed which destroyed the space pod along the way. It was buried in a avalanche," gasps came from the men. Listening to the sounds of a avalanche and watching it happen during the trek worked in his favor including walking very slowly turning thirty-five minutes to a hour.  "It was difficult to get here through the freezing, cold snow." he shuddered. "It is a miracle I survived with this jacket and my make shift ski's. I had to throw them away to distract some space wolves. These are the only articles of clothing I have that survived the crash just to retrieve this old, silver thing," Smith gestured toward the Robot. "The Robinsons don't know I am here and I suspect they won't come after me. Unfortunately, I had to kill your friends outside in order to make my entrance then I brought along a limited time operational holographic friend of mine. Very experimental technology there."

"Penny Robinson?" came a squeaky voice.

"Even her," Smith said, grimly.

"Yet, you still came after him," Bishop said. "A dead man coming back from the grave. How impressive."

"He deserves better," Smith said. "When  I am on a mission, I must complete it no matter how it inconveniences me."

"Escort him to cell 1," Bishop said. "And if he tries to escape, make sure to shoot him in the head."

"Not necessary!" Smith called walking  on from the group drawing their attention from the Robot.

The Robot's arm went to his back then lifted up his arms when they weren't noticing.

"Escort him," Bishop said, then watched the officers chase after him. "This is a very weird way to end a day."


	12. not

Smith was guided to the cells rather than escorted. The sound of footsteps echoing through the corridor. The gray, monotone theme was slowly becoming mundane and redundant to his eyes. His laser belt was removed including his weapon on the way to the cells. He saw Penny's figure hiding along the wall where he glared in her direction. Will was hiding underneath the table. Smith could tell because he saw his small hands peaking out from under the long table cloth. The doors opened automatically before him then he stepped forward into the cells block. The first cell with bars was slid open when he approached the door that read '1'. He was shoved into the cell across from him in a rather undignified way. Smith came to the bench then sat down and faced the door placing his hands on his lap.

He was waiting patiently for the children to make their escape. The Robot had to be faster than his old friend. The many times the Robot made him late for lift off were too many to count. And each time, it turned out the Robinsons waited a little bit longer for their return. A endearing characteristics of the Robinsons. From outside his cell, the Robot was wheeling his way down the corridor. The cameras were turning off  as the children were hooked on to its back. The Robot wheeled faster in the direction of the empty corridor. Everyone was in the security headquarters discussing about how to best handle it in the right channels. The Robot turned around then back in the direction that he was going initially. The door to the facility opened. Will tossed the rounded item repeatedly in his hand then rubbed the top of it and threw it at the wall. The item hit the wall creating a explosion.

The red light lit up throughout the facility as the ground tremble making Smith look up. The loud, high pitch wail echoed through the sprawling base as another explosion rocked the facility that was partially his doing on the other end to provide distraction from giving chase after the small group. That was when he believed he was going to make it out with them despite the ominous announcement. Smith closed his eyes and generally seemed happy than he had been in days. When he sighed, it vanished once his eyes opened. Penelope and Will were going back to their family. Smith found himself missing his family, very dearly. He was going to face justice after many years avoiding being bars for good in space prison. He felt a certain peace wash over.

The door to the cell section opened letting in Bishop.

"You. . ." Bishop said. "You didn't come alone."

"I believe I did," Smith said.

"You sneaked in a child, and stole, and stole, and stole our property!" Bishop said.

"Now he isn't on your property, is he?" Smith asked, his arms folded.

"It is a machine!" Bishop said. "That is not the point."

"Robot left on his free will," Smith said.

"That robot is a machine," Bishop said.

"A machine that has just killed a lot of your co-workers," Smith reminded him. "am I right?" He lowered his head meeting his gaze with the tall, broad shouldered man standing at the cell to his door.

"They were fine officers," Bishop said.

"I believe there is a law about the freedom of sapient Robots on the Galactic Constitution," Smith said. "You threatened his family. You held him hostage. You purposely deactivated him. That is grounds for a life sentence.  Letting him go meant freeing you up a very embarrassing, humiliating dressing  down from your superiors."

"You must be very familiar to our laws," Bishop said. "If they knew so much about it, why did they not start the case?"

"I didn't tell the family  about it because I felt I could fix it and that is what I did," Smith said. "Since he left willingly, you have no jurisdiction or incentive to go after him. If you were to jail me, it would be a case thrown out by the Galactic Courts. The Robot is fully capable of finding Galactic law enforcement to start the process. At best, I will get a acquittal if it didn't get thrown out. There might be some arcane laws that you could lean on to build your case but the computers would see right through it."

"You're bluffing," Bishop said.

"I gave him no reason to come back for me," Smith said. "Knowing them, they are going to come back and check up on me."

Bishop was sweating.

"And the chances of that not happening?" Bishop asked.

"Very slim," Smith said. "So the best thing I can do is offer my services to repair the damage done and turn into a officer rather than a wrongfully imprisoned man. What I was doing was picking up a dear friend of mine but got caught. I was rather sloppy back there." Smith cocked a brow up slightly tilting his head. "You must have some officers in need of good hands."

Bishop stood there unsure what to do in the middle of a two way street.


	13. at

"I can't believe we had to come back," West said.

"That diamond currency turned out not to be something exclusive to his side," Judith said.

"This is a cave to remember," West said.

"Certainly," Judith said, putting on dark gloves as they went on deeper into the cave.

"You know, I am the first to say I am happy to see Will smiling again," West said.

"Because of the  Robot," Judith acknowledged.

"Yes," West said, tossing a diamond into his knapsack. "The Robot."

They were silent, collecting diamonds and other related jewels from the rock that was more exposed than before. Judith seem to be bothered by something on her mind.

"Do you think he is really dead?" Judith asked. "We thought they had taken apart the Robot. What if we're wrong about Doctor Smith?"

West looked up from the collection of diamonds before him.

"I can't say for sure," West said. "We left him on a alternate Alpha Prime A. He did what he did best: sabotage systems and lie to everyone around him. Play them like a fiddle."

"Mutating,"  Judith said, with a shudder.  "If he is still around, he might be used as a weapon."

"Worse," West said. "A lab rat."

"It's best off that he's dead," Judith said.

"So he has to be dead by now," West carefully picked up a group of diamonds then chucked them into the bag. "Global Sedition doesn't like to be fooled by a ex-employee. .  ." he looked at the sparkling, bright gem that lit his face up. "Even if our Smith is still alive, he might be facing a fate worse than death."

Judith nodded.

"A possibility," Judith said, shaking her head. "And we can't do a thing to know."

"We're outnumbered," West said. "And we would get shot down if we went back."

"Schrodinger's Smith," Judith said. "We don't know if he is alive or dead. He could be both. Technically, that is true."

"One Smith running around very much alive and the other is dead," West said, then he faked a laugh. "Very funny."

"It's a cruel joke," Judith said, shaking her head.

A loud boom came from across the two that disturbed the cave even knocking them over. West used himself as a shield for Judith. They waited until the cave settled inbetween the trembling, the sounds of diamonds crashing to the floor, and the cave's faint groans fading away. West opened his eyes then looked down to see Judith's eyes were squeezed shut. The major sighed, relieved. West slowly lifted himself up to see a large gaping hole from the other side. It was a very colorful hole with multiple colors reflecting off the rock. He dropped the sack to his side then stepped closer. He saw a large, gigantic purple gun in the distance from the other side of the cave. Three figures came forward toward their direction with a distinctive glow surrounding them. A short woman with red, finely kept hair in a purple outfit came forward with her hands clasped together and a colorful blonde woman was walking after her as did a man. She was surrounded by a golden glow. Her youthful, well aging features were complimented by the hopeful colors. She was a very bright woman.

"I am Mrs Robinson," Maureen introduced herself. "Did you see a graying man come here earlier?"

"Can't miss him," came the slightly brownish man from beside her. "He screams like a little girl. Major West."

"Sorry," Judith said, noticing the blue eyed blonde woman coming to Don's side.  "Doctor Smith left a long time ago."

Don looked confused, Maureen's face was decorated in alarm, and a friendly expression was replaced by shock on Judy's face. It had to be her counterpart as she was the oldest of the other children.

"Just how long ago?" Maureen asked.

"Three months ago," West said.

"No, no," Don shook his hand. "no, it can't have been three months," Don said. "It's been two _weeks_ since this accident."

"That's how long it has been to us," Judith said.

"Where is he?" Maureen asked.

"Somewhere that has some kind of disaster. He is part of the space doctors without borders these days," West said. "He really wanted to go to prison when we crossed paths him at first. Losing that close friend hurt him."

"I never seen anyone that hurt about it enough to lose their color," Judith said. "Logically, that's impossible for his body. He didn't eat for five days. He had some bad hallucinations. He held himself personally responsible. I am Doctor Rogers, I treated his cuts."

"Dean Wickles," West said. "I was the reason why this princess was out here in a cave." he rubbed the back of his neck, nervously. "Helped him back to the ship."

The group stared at Judith and West as though they were skeptical. The Robinsons shared glances with each other just to be sure they were hearing what they thought was coming from Judith then back on toward the duo.

"Will is not dead," Maureen said.

Judith and West's eyebrows raise up.

"But. . ." West said. "He was convinced. We didn't hear the kid calling for help."

"Will has been in a coma back at the Jupiter," Don said. "No improvements so far."

"We have been talking to him," Maureen said. "but I think he is not really paying attention to our voices. John is waiting by Will's beside."

"That's terrible," Judith said.

"Now, can you care to tell us where you left him?" Don asked. "I like to see Will up and talking."

"He left himself," West said. "I know, it's unbelievable, but he went out and got a friend of ours back. Sent them back, actually." West stopped once he saw a familiar Robot that seemed bulky and at best, simple. Judith stared at the Robot, in shock, seeing its colorful, silver figure.  Maureen turned in the direction of the Robot.

"Robot, what is it?" Maureen asked.

"Professor Robinson wanted to know if you found him," The Robot said, West's eyes grew big watching the familiar grill glow. The Robot's head bobbed down conveying sadness. "Due to the absence of Doctor Smith that is a no."

"Can't help you with that," West said, shaking  his head apologetically.

"Uh huh," Don said, not convinced.

"This cave connects to somewhere," Maureen said. "We didn't detect your ship from outside."

"We're explorers," Judith said. "From the planet Gadious."

"Not military," West said. "We stole a spaceship and went with it."

"Different ends of the universe, thousands of light years away, and I think there is something you can help us with," Maureen said.

"We don't know where he is," Judith said. "Space doctors without borders, remember?"

"Knowing Smith, he is likely in trouble," Don said. "He is not always in good hands when he thinks he is after awhile. Wherever disaster or trouble is going on, there is bound to be Smith in the middle of it. Anything, you name it. He is the source of it. And you've got something that can bring us there sooner rather than later."

"How. . ." West said.

"Let's just say we've met friendly, helpful aliens like you since being lost in space," Maureen said.

"I will return to the Jupiter 2 and inform the professor," The Robot said.

"Tell John we'll be coming back with Doctor Smith, soon," Maureen said.

"Affirmative," The Robot said, then turned around and returned through the exit.

West rubbed his chin watching the Robot wheeling away in the distance.

"I gotta make a call to Jake," West said. "Be right back."

"Jake is the leader of the expedition," Judith explained. "Unlike you, we don't have a handy robot to help us around."

West overheard the last part of the sentence. He wasn't going to let them know that they had left behind their own version of Smith. He can easily foresee the disbelief and confusion on their faces then insisting that they go about at a different way which would ordinarily mean their capture and certain doom. Zachary wouldn't look the same and might not be the same person physically. West made it to the Chariot then slid open a door  and leaped into the dimly lit inside. He picked up the head set from the console then placed it on his face. He moved the small microphone along his mouth.

"Chariot to Jupiter 2, Chariot to Jupiter 2,"  West called.

"Jupiter 2 here," John's voice came over.

"John, it's good to hear you," West said. "And you're not going to believe this."


	14. all

"What do you call these?" Don asked.

"Spider pods," West said

"Spider pods, hah, that's really creative," Don said.

"Space pods really doesn't suit them," West said.

"That's a lot more than we have on the Jupiter." Judith said. "we have one."

"One lousy spider pod?" West asked. "You are really left out."  he leaned against the panel. "It's unfortunate how we were haven't been able to apply this new technology to the ship."

"You could really use this getting from place to place," Don said.

"It's not how fast you get there," West said. "the real journey is the friends you make along the way."

"How many have you made?" Don asked.

"Since I have been getting my act together, a lot more," West said. "A lot more."

Don looked at the space craft.

"If it were any sister or dark looking, I wouldn't call it a spider pod," Don said.

"What would you call it?" West asked.

"A bad space pod," Don said.

"Uh huh," West said, patting on the panel with a laugh. "Make sure you bring back this spider pod safe and sound. Will you?"

"We tend to bring space pods back rather intact,"  Don said. "If any scars, just little scratches from the landing."

"Sure you don't need help learning to operate this thing?" West asked.

"I am the best pilot in the galaxy," Don said. "I can pilot anything."

"Not just everything," Maureen said, raising her brows as she leaned forward out of the space pod. 

"That was too complex," Don said. "It required a squid to operate it." He had a laugh. "I'm a quick learner, Mr Wickles. Not unless you've got a big red button for self destruct."

"We don't," West said.

"Then we're pretty safe," Don said. "Smith is going to regret giving us the scare like that. We thought he was dead until the  Robot did a quick scan."

"What did he find?" West asked.

"His pocket knife," Don slid it out. "It can be a number of things. Not just that."

West raised his eyebrows up, briefly, then lowered them.

"Consider yourself lucky, Major," West said. "Doctor Smith spoke highly of you."

"I wonder why he would say something like that," he slid it back into his pocket. It occurred to Don. "Oh. . . he thought he wasn't coming back."

"He was under that impression," West said. "Certainly thought it was best for everyone."

"Honestly? I can't blame him for thinking that _had_ Will died," Don said. "Penny was so upset when she came back. She was a mess. Penny helped The Robot get Will out of there then carried he carried him back to the Jupiter in his arms. Will was bloody. Really bloody." Don shuddered then shook his head. "All I saw was red and I wanted to kill Smith. Before he went under, Will asked if Smith was okay. We all think The Robot said the wrong thing telling him that he did not see Smith's heat signature from the other side of the cave."  West nodded in understanding that slowly turned to 'oh no'. "It's a miracle Will was hanging on by a thread. Maureen and Judy stitched him up the best way they could. I can't help and feel things would have gone smoother had Smith been there to take care of it." The radiating glow became brighter almost blinding him in a way.

"It makes sense," West said. "Why he lost his color."

"Enlighten me," Don said.

"Metaphorically, Doctor Smith died back in that cave," West said, getting a frown in return. "That is why the Robot didn't detect his heat signature."

"You mean to tell me that cave is capable of doing things?" Don asked. "Whatever he is feeling. . . It changes him to what he feels? A undead Smith is worse than a living Smith."

"I mean to say whichever part of the universe you're from. . . it makes you glow,"  West said. "That glow means something else on that corner of the universe. Like hope."

"I am not glowing," Don said.

"Yes, you are," West said.

"I don't see the difference," Don said.

"Have you seen the cartoon film Hercules?" West asked.

"Yes," Don said. "It's a good movie."

"That's what you are to me," West said. "You're glowing like a real life god." Don looked at West strangely.

"You make me sound immortal," Don said.

"Isn't that what hope is?" West asked. "It's like diamonds except it can be buried by dirt."

Don tilted his head with a pause as though he were considering the reply. He raised a brow then lowed it down.

"I have to go," Don said, going up toward the door.

Don brushed past Maureen heading in the direction of the console.

"Tell Mr Rogers thanks for the coordinates," Maureen said, peeking out of the space pod. "And for the food rations."

"It's the least we can do," Will said, then came to West's side. "I had fun playing chess with him."

"More like having fun moving the pieces while he didn't respond," West said, with a laugh placing his hand on Will's shoulder.

"His eyes told me what he wanted to do," Will said.

"You won't need to come after us," Maureen said. "We can take care of ourselves."

"Who said we will?" West asked. "We are not interested in going after people."

Maureen closed the door behind her then it clicked behind her. The pod floated up from the ground propelled by the four legs as the two continued their wave. The door to the hangar bay opened waiting for the space to exit. The energized field blocking oxygen was up only letting the space pod to be the only thing that exited. Will lowered his hand to his side.

"They're going to die," Will said.

"Not a chance," West said.

Will looked up toward Don as John and Tomlinson, the other Professor Robinson, came toward them.

"I have a funny feeling that this is not the last of the Robinsons we've seen," Tomlinson said.

"They're going without protectionary gear or back up, they can't survive space like that," Will said.

"They've been out in space for five years, son," John said. "They are survivors. Just like we are."

"Just more bold," Tomlinson said. "Not afraid to risk rescuing one of their own when they can."

"We can get the Robot out of storage," West said. "Shame he can't meet his counterpart."

"There's a good chance the other Robot is going to want his treads," Judith said.

"Robots don't get jealous," West said, earning a laugh from the rest of the Robinsons. "He is not programmed for that."

"Robot went beyond his programming a long time ago," Will said, watching the doors closing behind the vanishing space pod. "I'll get him!"

Will ran off.

"Is it just me, or is not shocking that she is a doctor rather than a professor?" Tomlinson asked. "In biochemistry of all things."

"No, my wife," John said, wrapping his hand around her waist. "It's not. You're a very intelligent woman."

A smile grew on Tomlinson's face looking up toward her loving partner.


	15. period

The space pod had a installed restroom on the far corner. The trio took turns using it. Judy watched the passing bolts of light as her father rested in one of the chairs and Don across from her. She had over all concern regarding the situation but mainly how did Smith land into the space doctors without borders. A man capable of talking himself into danger and out of it was someone capable of making the wrong friends. The space pod came to a stop above a asteroid that had a glass dome over a vast distance. The space pod's abrupt halt jerked the two members of the party up.

"We are here," Judy said.

"Is that evacuation pods?" Don asked.

"Looks like it," Judy said.

Maureen picked up the radio.

"This is Spider Pod 1," Maureen said. "Why are you running away?"

There were screams from over the radio.

"There's a monster in there!" came a woman's voice. "Run for your lives! You don't want to go back in there!"

"Is there anyone by Doctor  Smith in the evacuation pods?" Maureen then added. "Roger."

A chorus of no's came over the radio.

"The damn creature got him surrounded with the remaining crewmembers," came the woman's voice. "They cooked it up, they made a biological war entity and they unleashed it on a colony ship."

"Who's they?" Maureen asked.

"Galactic Military," the woman replied. "Don't go there! Are you listening? Don't go there! DON'T GO THERE!"


	16. He

The hangar bay doors opened before the space pod. They were three, massive light gray doors. The cries from the evacuation pods stopped abruptly after entering the asteroid. There were evacuating pods leaving the colony asteroid. Don dodged several escape pods heading up the long gaps between  lengthy bridges that lead to different. The space pod twirled and rotated. The space pod tore through the fragile, thin layered dirt up to the surface. Don piloted the space pod to a dark landing padd in the center of a park. The blue light illuminating from the console was the only light in the dark scenery. Maureen came over to one of the boxes then opened it up and dug into it. She took out two flashlights from the interior then slid out of the box and covered it up.

"We're not going to split up," Don said.

"One of us has to stay back and protect the fort," Maureen said. "Which isn't splitting up when it comes to searching  for him."

"We're going to be here for two hours," Don said. "One hour is enough time to find Smith. Second hour will be to find his body." Maureen nodded her head, in understanding.

"Then we have to take risks getting Will back," Maureen said, her voice nearly cracking.

She lowered her head, recomposing herself, then smoothed out her silver and orange one piece space suit and placed her hand onto the laser pistol belt. She was visibly scared regarding the uncertain future without Smith but she had to be brave for her family. She looked up with a sigh toward the two. She clung onto the strong hope that Will would wake up. He will wake up. No matter the cost to him physically or mentally to be awake should Smith not be extracted alive, it was going to be worth it. That hope was strong enough to keep her together. She handed them the flashlights. Wit a click the flashlights were latched on to the laser pistols.

"Get our doctor, Major, and bring my daughter back alive," Maureen said.

"You can count on me, Doctor Robinson," Don said, taking Judy's free hand with a optimistic smile.

Maureen opened the door for the two then allowed them out and closed the door behind them.

 _Come back safe_ , Maureen prayed watching them leave the safety of the space pod.


	17. needs

It reminded Don of a space town except these buildings had walls rather than a front entrance that lacked any of the walls. Those kinds of buildings were intriguing to him and often times, mystified him. The text on the buildings seemed to be hieroglyphics at best. Nothing like the ones that he had seen in the last five years from the other side of the universe where the Jupiter 2 remained. Something was watching them. Not someone, Don was certain, looking around hearing bushes move. Their bright, golden glow was illuminating their dark surroundings in a way that made them act as lanterns. The sounds of screaming drew their attention. Don and Judy ran out in the direction of the screams through the park until they came close and closer to the source.

Judy fell over a lump.

"Judy!" Don said, helping her up.

"I am fine,"  Judy said. "Just this---" she screamed coming to his side then hid her face against his chest.

"Oh my god," Don said, holding onto Judy.

The camera panned down to display a colonist who seemed to have twisted ripped in half with vital organs missing from the body. The chest seemed to have been torn open exposing the rib cage. Don seemed to be disturbed. The sound of a high pitch, girly scream came from the building. Don turned away from the gruesome sight aiming his flashlight at the barely lit building so Judy looked up. They ran toward the building hand in hand. The set of glass doors opened before the two. Don aimed the flashlight up ahead. There was another scream from across that belonged to someone else. Don and Judy's flashlights aimed at the source to see a blue man with a long claw sticking out his chest and blood was coming down from the corners of his mouth. His eyes were full of fear. He dropped his standard issue phaser to his side then was able to croak the word, "R. . . . Run."

Don and Judy fled down the hall as the unsettling sound of a soft, gentle chirp echoed came from behind. The sound of thudding came from behind Judy. She looked over her shoulder aiming the flash light in the direction of the creature but the ground trembled making her aim the flashlight at the wall. It was following them. Don ducked into a room then slammed a door in the way. They listened to the sound of what a creature rushing past them. Don looked over toward Judy. Judy's back was pressed to the wall. Don did mental calculations in his mind putting in variables regarding what to expect. This was a unexpected variable when it boiled down to it, the variable of Smith spelled certain life threatening trouble, and bodies being left around the place was more likely than anything. Instead of running away from danger, Smith had gone in and ran into it. Needless to say, Don was surprised.

It was like a new Smith had risen out of the ashes of the old then flown out with a new backbone and decided to leave behind a string of bodies behind as he walked. A contrary from the terrified, screaming, and cowering man hiding his way to safety until who ever was chasing him had grown tired. That kind of person was capable of talking their way out of a situation. Capable of leaving everyone else to die for their safety. That was the kind of person who stabbed people in the back in order to survive. That was the kind of person that stranded people did not like to be stranded alongside. That was the kind of person who wouldn't last long in space. And yet, the terrified, cowardly man managed to survive everything thrown at him. No matter how much things changed, it remained the same.

If Don were being honest with himself then he would say that it was hope that kept the group going and held together. It was their values of humanity that kept them from falling apart. He wasn't quite sure about Smith. The familiar girly scream came from where the creature had gone. Smith's scream sounded very close by. Judy squeezed his hand out of comfort. Don turned toward her getting a nod in return. They went down the hall slowly and precisely with their flashlights aimed at what was ahead. The sound of a body being dragged was evident to their ears. Don slammed himself against a door sending it flying open with a loud bang as it hit the wall.

"Smith!" Don called. "Smith!"

"Ssssssh," came a familiar, distant hush.

Don aimed the flashlight in the distance toward a series of lockers.

"Smith?" Judy said. "What are you up to now?"

"SSSSHHHh," came the hush, even more insistently.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Don said.

A large beast around six feet tall came forward that had a tyrannosaurus build coated in a thick, dark feathers, long legs that had sharp claws attached, and wings that were slightly spreading to reveal claws on each end. The light reflected off the fine, smooth feathers making it shine against the yellow pool. A unique bird chirp came from the creature. The creature lowered its wings down to its side. It raised its head up then tilted its head while staring in the direction of the two. It turned away from them toward the direction of a door. From behind it, the camera displayed Smith with his eyes closed and trembling against the wall in a tight and narrow space that made it difficult to move. The creature breathed against the thin, slightly wide windows. A familiar whimper came.

The creature's claws latched onto the metal making a screech as the claws were sliding down against the door leaving a trail of lighter shaded gray. A thin, long pen device fell out of the device illuminating a red laser light. Don stepped back and so did Judy. The creature turned around from Smith then slowly gazed down toward the floor. The creature pounced forward making the ground tremble reaching forward for the laser pen. Don aimed the laser pistol at the larger beast moving his fingers to the laser pistol. There was the sound of a bird chirping behind them. Don froze feeling his time was up. They were tossed aside by a set of claws landing to the floor. Don raised himself half way up acting as a shield to Judy. They watched a creature with a bloody, dripping arm walk in toward the other. His fingers wrapped around the trigger as the flashlight revealed there were three creatures lurking about the scenery.

Don can hear his heart pounding loudly in his EARS. He remembered then just what he was for. All the thoughts to run away evaporated. Will was going to wake up. Will was going to most likely wake up after this episode. Will was going to be asking what happened after the collapse. Will was going to be told the truth but a bit eschewed coming from Smith.  And mainly, in part, coming from Don it would line up perfectly. Don raised his laser pistol up, tensely. He pressed the trigger making the creatures turn on him. From above him, there were laser pistols bolts firing back at the creatures. Judy stood up delivering multiple blasts and so did Judy giving a good aim. It was going to be worth it. There were loud chirps from around them. The beasts were walking back at the sheer brightness radiating from them forming a circle around them.

From Don's side, a creature lunged forward crashing down on him. Judy screamed, jumping back in horror. The beast clawed at him with its short, sharp claws. The creature's claws seared through the gray-red suit into the colorful flesh exposing blood between the dark, curly chest hair. Don picked up his laser pistol then shot into the beasts chest tipping it over from him. Judy fired at the oncoming creature. Don had a long, wide fresh cut on his chest that stung. Judy helped Don up to his feet. There was uncertainty that they would get out of the situation alive easily seen on their faces as they backed away. Their golden glow began to dim. Another creature came from Don's left. They closed their eyes expecting for the end. Only the sound of a door loudly being slammed startled everyone in the room.

A few seconds passed as nothing attacked the Jupiter 2 crew members.

A jarring, painful death did not come down on them.

Don opened one eye to see the creatures were paused with their heads turned toward each other.

Judy's eyes opened and her grip on his uniform went loose. The creatures softly chirped that sounded that they were communicating.

The locker door was slammed twice. They watched the beasts turn away from them and crept their way in the source of the noise.

"RED ALERT, RED ALERT, RED ALERT," Came a woman's voice. "Facilities will self-destruct in one minute."

Judy looked over to see a wide, large locker that was left ajar. She yanked it open as the creatures crept forward as the female voice counted down in the background. Don looked in the direction that Smith's voice had came from then back on to the creatures.

"We're not going to make it!" Don said. "I always knew it would be because of him--"

"Don," Judy said.

Don turned then looked at what she was pointing while firing at the strange creature. The pilot grew brighter at the locker.

"Now that's more like it," Don said. 

Judy went in first into the large locker then Don crammed into the locker. Judy closed the door with her fingers slid in the window slits as they were set side to side then turned away from the door. A loud, roaring sound came from behind them. There were loud, alarmed bird sounds  at first but they were cut off. Then everything was flying including the locker they were inside. From the distance, Maureen watched the explosion unfold. Buildings were exploding one by one before her eyes. Random pieces of furniture crashed down to the ground. The large locker crashed into the pavement leaving a long, embedded trail behind. Judy kicked the door open then flopped on out landing to the grass. Don hopped out of the locker then closed it behind him.

Don put his head on the edge of the locket with a hand placed on his stinging chest and his laser pistol was dropped beside his boots. 

"It's not fair," Don said. He smacked his fist on the door muttering over and over, "It's not fair! It's not fair!"

Judy scanned the scenery of burning trees, burning furniture, burning meat, burning bodies, and scorched metal for lockers around the scene. The hungry flames made it seem that sunset was dawning all around them rather than from the distance where the sun would be making it easier for Judy to see what was around her. There were bodies strewn about the place that seemed half eaten. She covered her mouth at the horror story that seemed to be told before her eyes. She turned away from the scene back in the direction of Don then placed a hand on his shoulder. As Don sighed, the bright and golden golden glow ceased to outline them. Their bright, sparkly gray outfits with orange shoulder pads became darker to the human eye making them blend in to their surroundings. Judy squeezed his shoulder out of comfort. Don looked back at her, sadly, half in shame and disappointment in himself. It was natural coming into a hug between them to comfort each other from what had happened. The hug was more of a comfort to Judy than it was to Don.

Lockers crashed behind the two tipping over and skidding and turning and screeching toppling over the other coming to a rough landing. Judy turned around from Don. They wore baffled looks then back in the direction where the explosion had intensified sending even more furniture flying. Slowly, the glow started to return from the boots up with the bright and flawless gray. Don picked up his laser pistol then went after the lockers. Judy followed after him. Don went the first three doors then closed them with a loud, defiant slam. A very narrow locker crashed into the grass across from him. Don became certain that it was Smith in there. Smith  was also the kind of man who was least expected in any circumstance. He ran toward the locker then came to the side. Don aimed the laser pistol toward the door anticipating the look on Smith's face when he opened it.  He looked over toward Judy then shared a nod with her. He flipped open the door to face a scream coming from a familiar, colorless face then closed it immediately before looking in and the hair all over his body went up. Don's face turned to white slowly turning toward Judy and back on to the locker. He placed the laser pistol down to the grass then forced the door open to reveal the dark interior of the locker. Don reached in to the locker then yanked out a squirming man by the neck and dropped him to the ground.

"I am sorry!" Smith apologized, his back against the locker.  "I am sorry! I am sorry!"

"Oh," Don said. "so you did cause all this!"

"You're over reaching, Major!" Smith bolted up to his feet.

"Then what are you apologizing for?" Don asked.

"I let go of William's hand while running to safety," Smith said.

There was dead silence between them.

"It is my fault that he was buried under the diamonds and rock," Smith went on. "It is my fault that he lost consciousness and never woke up. It is my fault that Penny had to see her brother bleeding.  It is my fault that I didn't pick him up into my arms then make our way to safety! William would be walking around alive and well if I had done it differently!" Smith sat down on to the edge of the locker with his hands in his lap and lowered his head down toward his lap. He combed his hands through his dark gray hair. "The only thing I have caused is emotional pain to the Robinsons."

"Will is in a coma," Judy said.

Smith closed his eyes, painfully, as though that status condition  were more awful than death.

"The Robot flubbed and might have told him that you weren't dead," Don said.

"Might is a strong word," Smith said. "The two of you. . . " he slowly spoke between his words  while processing what they had told him in disbelief. "mean to say that the Robot told a boy, on the brink of life or death, the truth rather than a lie?"

"He did," Judy said.

Smith grew a unhappy look.

"Why that _ninny_ ," Smith said.  
  



	18. you

The hatch was slid open. Judy was the first one to enter the space pod then fall into her mother's arms. What she heard from the young woman was disturbing. Fragments about the horror that she saw became real in the woman's mind. She can see it in her minds eye. Judy told her enough about the threat that she knew it was one of a kind. Maureen stroked the back of Judy's head in relief that her little girl had returned safe and sound. She saw Don come in then lean against the wall with a chest wound then press on the injury. Don gave a nod in return as she was hugging Judy. She closed her eyes. Her family was going to be okay. Her family was going to be okay. Will was going to wake up.

She opened her eyes as Judy stepped out of the hug and moved to the side. The door closed behind the expectant man. Maureen had a small audible gasp at Smith. He was in a strange two piece uniform that was mainly black with white sleeves that had dark outlined shapes. There was a long cut along the right side of his face that was still bleeding. She turned her attention up now absorbing in how much Smith had changed. He had bags under his eyes that were more visible than before.  He had changed from a cowardly individual into a miserable, sad old man.

"It's the mustache," Don said. "Isn't it?"

"Doesn't really scream Smith at first glance," Judy agreed.

"Partially," Maureen said. "I understand you did not stay long."

"Not long enough, madame," Smith said. "If I stayed a few more minutes. . . William wouldn't be in a coma."

"It wouldn't have mattered if you stayed a couple minutes," Maureen said. "Time goes differently between here and our little corner of space."

Don came to the console then flipped the switches above his head.

"It has been two weeks," Judy said.

"You would have had to stand there for hours for the Robot to catch your energy signature," Maureen approached Smith.

"And Penny?" Smith asked, softly.

"She is in a rough patch right now," Maureen said.

"What kind of bad rough patch is it?" Smith prodded.

"She has bad nightmares about the collapse," Maureen explained. "I think they will go away as soon as Will is back."

"It doesn't happen overnight," Smith said. "when it comes to cases like these. . . ." Smith paused looking back at a distant memory. "Healing for her will take time."

"And you?" Judy asked.

"I never healed," Smith said, resting down to a chair.

Maureen came over to a cargo container at the back end of the pod. She flipped it open then dived into the box searching around for a portable medical kit. She found a dark gray suitcase with the plus sign in the center. She took the suitcase out then came over to Smith's side and placed placed it onto the table. She slid open the compartment then returned toward Smith. She was used to making improvised sutures when he was unable to attend. She gently dabbed away the blood from his face all the while cleaning up the wound. Maureen went to work using the suture. Smith was silent, extremely still not speaking a word. The space pod flew out of the asteroid through out of the slowly closing door then darted into freedom. Familiar, uncertain freedom. The space pod flew into a familiar warp leaving the evacuated pods behind. She sutured up the wound with care and precision. She looked down toward his hand to see a long, curved scar in the palm. Big enough that she could visualize a diamond.

There was heavy guilt in his eyes. He had walked around three months as a shadow of himself. Carrying survivors guilt on his shoulders wherever he went. She didn't want to think about how many times he wished that it was him who had been under the rubble not Will. She gently reached her hand out toward Smith's hand, grabbed a hold of it, and squeezed his hand. Smith's grayed eyes acknowledged her in a very tired kind of way. Wordlessly, it was conveyed to Smith that Will would have felt the same if it were him who survived. Smith nodded in return, understandingly, then pat on her hand. The map appeared on the screen displaying the spaceship that they were heading back towards.

"Rogers mystery rations anyone?" Maureen offered. 

"Yes," came Don and Judy.

Maureen came over to the small pack that Tomlinson had packed for them. Smith expected for the stinky mystery bars to be taken out only instead to face a pleasant smell. Smith slid the box over toward himself. The Robot must have refined the food to make it more appealing for consumption. The mystery bars were even more thicker than before and wider to be mistaken as a chocolate bar. It had been a long time since he had eaten chocolate. Smith turned his attention over to Don as the women looked for the chairs as the ship was in autopilot. 

"Zip your uniform down," Smith said.

"You don't look too well yourself," Don said.

Smith raised a brow.

"Doubting my medical capabilities, are you?" Smith asked.

"No, no, no," Don said.  "It is just that. . ."

"I look very sick," Smith finished for him. "I get that often."

"Why is it that?" Don asked.

"I don't feel alive as you do, Major," Smith replied, as Don unzipped the uniform. "What a nasty cut you got there."

"And would you like a mystery bar, Smith?" Maureen asked, concerned

"No," Smith said, carefully taking out the instruments to start suturing. "I had some breakfast-egg-noodles for dinner."


	19. back

_"Captain Bishop," Smith said, over the screams from behind him._

_He was knelt down behind a bush. He looked over toward the chaos that was unfolding before his eyes. His colleagues were running for their lives, performing a evacuation of the survivors, and a few were doing what they did best when it came to preserving their own lives: shooting the hell out of the creatures. The loud, familiar blasts were coming from all around him. The artificial lighting in the domed city went out unexpectedly. Smith had a girly scream then clung on to the large, pointy branch. There were blue bolts that made the scene glow  briefly then fade once hitting the intended target. The noisy, chirping grew frantic.  
_

_"Colonel Smith," Bishop said. "Are you okay?_

_"I am in need of some help," Smith said. "I am quite shaken. It is nothing that tea cannot take care of."  
_

_"Ah? Sorry about that," Bishop apologized. "I can't help you."_

_"You told me that you would help me!" Smith ran over to another bush as another creature came toward him._

_"Colonel, Colonel," Bishop said. Smith had a girly scream bolting out of the way. He picked up a long tree branch as he backed off toward a tree. "You really think I would save the man blackmailing me?"_

_Smith glared down at the watch.  
_

_"You will regret this," Smith said._

_Bishop chuckled._

_"I won't," Bishop said. "And about that colony you got sent to with hundreds of other doctors. . . " Smith's heart sank. "I made this incident happen by pulling a few strings or two.  I happen to have the only nearest spaceship by Colony XY."_

_"What are you waiting for?" Smith asked, annoyed. "If not me, pick up the survivors at least!"  
_

_"Except, I am not getting any distress beacons from that destination," Bishop said.  "Frequencies must be jammed."_

_"I don't know where the evacuation pods are," Smith said. "These survivors need medical attention."  
_

_"That's what makes me better than you, thief," Bishop said, Smith detached the watch from his wrist. "I command a spaceship. You don't."  
_

_Smith tossed the watch away from himself then watched a creature crush underneath its rabbit paw in horror._

* * *

For the first time in two weeks, Maureen's hope of life aboard the Jupiter returning to normal had been renewed. Smith was snoring away pressed against the side of the chair. Don was fast asleep with his arms dangling off the arm rests of the lawn chair. Judy was resting in a bright orange lawn chair fast asleep covered up by a warm survival blanket. She didn't twist or turn out of a nightmare that had plagued her for days on end regarding Will. Waking up in the middle of the night to find her daughter openly crying on Will's bedside. _Tomorrow_ , she thought each night, _Will is going to wake up and ask what happened back at the cave._ Finding Don wide awake in the middle of the night comforting Judy had became a nightly occurrence in the last week. The same week where the Robot returned to the cave to make the startling discovery. Seeing John resting beside Will's bedside holding his hand had broken her heart little by little over the two weeks.

Piece by piece in this journey, her heart was coming back together.

She remembered the panic, the fear, and concern filling the Jupiter when operating on Will.

The quick, fast stitching that she had to make through the blood using bone absorption staples and the long, thin stitches to put him back together again. She used the Robot to make sure she was operating right with Judy by her side taking care of removing the small pieces of diamond and rock. Will had healed enough that she removed the stitches before coming over. Cleaning her hands up from the bloody task from putting her son back together in his room. When John came into the bedroom, he was optimistic that Will was going to wake up but as the days dragged on the hope was fading and her husband was becoming a shadow of himself. She ended up taking over for John. It comforted her that John wasn't the only member of the family who had fallen apart after the accident. She turned her attention off three right off toward the large, circular view screen that gave a good view of the warp tunnel.

_I'm coming, John._

* * *

Judy was the first member of the group to awaken the following evening.

Her mother was sleeping on the console when she had first awakened.

It was Judy who lead her resting mother to a lawn chair then kept watch on the passing tunnel.

The added sonic shower was where she went in afterwards in the same gray uniform that she went out in the journey. The space pod seemed like it was a mini house Smith was snoring away turned on his side. She couldn't believe that he was sitting there alive and well. She was almost tempted to poke at him with a laser pistol to make sure that he was real. The unreal colors he was in made it not that difficult to feel. When the survival blanket moved up and down, it verified that he was alive. It felt surreal. The surreal feeling had begun to fade. For two weeks she thought that Doctor Smith had been buried in the rubble but wasn't found by the Robot upon initial scans. It had been two long weeks that were starting to feel like a distant, nasty memory. Just what she wanted it to be.

Seeing Will with his eyes open and happy was going to be worth the trip. The overall heavy cloud aboard the Jupiter 2 had consumed her in a way that felt like it was eating her alive rather than living alongside. The thick cloud from over her head was lifting hour by hour. It had started to lift when the hole was made in the tunnel. If she had to explain it in her little way, the first thing that would come to mind would be lifting a candle down to the center of a cardboard cup out of the windy, cold night and watched the flame become larger. The air around her was no longer cold and unforgiving but getting warmer. The atmosphere that dark was getting brighter around her. Don seemed to be in a better mood than he had been in in recent days. The familiar, warm stubborn man was coming back to the forefront in a better mood.

* * *

"Did we just run out of whatever fuels this thing twenty hours into flight?" Don asked.

"Someone forgot to fuel the spider pod up before we took off from the Juno," Judy said. 

"The fuel meter said we had enough to make the trips," Don said. "We could have been leaking this whole time."

The Space Pod had fallen out of warp and was now drifting in space. Smith was being unlike himself: no announcements that they were doomed, none of the typical whining, and becoming hysterical that they were lost once more. Smith was staring toward the wall lost in thought. He had awaken several hours ago and hadn't been speaking since then. Don had a good look at Smith's terrified demeanor as it was replaced by regret and guilt then finally a haunted look. As though he had witnessed something disturbing. Don didn't ask. It wasn't his place to ask at all. He was in a new two piece dark outfit that his youthful glow shined against.

Don and Maureen looked toward the silent doctor then back toward each other. Judy was checking on what power they did have left on the console's systems. The console was becoming faint. Judy didn't seem to be happy about what she was getting. The very thought that they were going to choke to death in a space pod with each other was comforting and then it was heartbreaking that the other members of the Robinsons were going to be left alone with a boy who would never wake up. If they were in their corner of space, the Jupiter 2 would appear when they least expected it and hailed the lonely space pod. The Jupiter 2 wasn't around. There wasn't any spaceships nearby to rescue them.

The silence coming from Smith was disturbing.

And that's when they were really doomed.

Because when Smith said it, they weren't doomed at all.

"Smith, did you hear that?" Maureen asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Smith sighed, then looked up toward her.

"My apologies, madame. . .  I was thinking on other matters," Smith apologized. "What is the matter?"

"We're out of fuel," Maureen said, then Smith's eyes grew long.

"How far is the pod from the nearest sun?" Smith asked.

"Several thousand light years give or take," Don said. 

"Too far to refuel this magnificent space craft," Smith said, with a shake of his head as Don's eyes grew wide.

"You mean to say this is solar powered?" Don asked.

"Yes," Smith said, as the other members of the group's eyes widened.

"Great, just great," Don paced back and forth. "So we are not leaking." he rubbed the bridge of his nose. "We just ran out of solar energy! Jake left that part out."

Smith stretched then strolled on over toward the wide, circular view screen.

"We're in the middle of a asteroid belt,"  Judy said. "It will be very difficult for a spaceship to come after us and tow it out."

"Possible to be done but very delicate work," Don said. "It will take the best pilot to get us out of here."

"Someone like you," Maureen said.

"There's no one like me in space willing to help people out of kindness," Don said. "Nor as good.  Remember the last space pilot who claimed to be capable of taking things out of a asteroid belt?" 

The other members of the group looked back at the memory. The memory was still a irritable ulcer to Smith. Still fresh on his mind after weeks upon the initial incident. The memory was ingrained on all the Robinsons. A eventful day for a eventful mission that required the Robot, Don, Judy, and Smith in the same pod. Judy, unlike Smith, found it as a amusing story worth being told. It wasn't a ulcer to Judy but a adventure. A fond, warm expression grew on Judy's face.

"I remember that well," Smith said. "The space pod drifting into a even denser field of asteroids."  He shuddered. "A very distasteful man."

"That he was," Don agreed. "Didn't get his pilot license legally."

"It was fun," Judy perked up. "I could have done without being thrown around."

"We all could have done without that," Maureen agreed. Smith leaned against the flat, dimming console. "This is just as scary."

"Oh no," Judy said.

"What is it?" Don asked, looking toward the woman.

"We have a weeks worth of oxygen left," Judy said.

"This time," Smith spoke up. "We're doomed." They turned their attention on to him. "Doomed, I say," then added with a whine. " _Doomed_! Doomed to die LOST IN SPACE, forever adrift, perfectly preserved, and this space craft is destined to become our final tomb!"

"We're not doomed long as we have each other," Maureen said.

"She is right," Don said.

"Normally, I would agree," Smith said. "Except . . ."

"There we go," Don said, snapping his fingers. "Realism and math thrown together to give bad news. Now that part, I didn't miss."

Smith frowned, taken back, insulted.

"You do realize, we are going to run out of oxygen _quickly_ ," Smith said.

"The more we talk, the less oxygen we have," Maureen said.

"There is four of us. Four of us will use the oxygen twice as quickly even when we are not talking," Smith said. "This pod does not have plants dangling from the cieling to give us the additional oxygen. Now does it? That cuts down survival to at least two days."

"We could send a distress call," Judy suggested. "And get oxygen tanks from helpful people."

"Someone could drop out of warp and come to our aid," Maureen said.

"Hopefully they are not going to have intentions that we don't want," Don said, as Smith sat down into the chair.

"This is Spider Pod 1," Maureen said. "Spider Pod 1, we are adrift with limited oxygen. Please, respond. We are in need of aid."

 Don looked over toward Smith.

"Sometimes I wish had the restraint you had," Don said. "On the other hand, there are times I don't."

Smith slid a gray eye open that seemed terrifying with his hands clasped together on his lap. His eye aimed at Don in a way that conveyed a voiceless message raising a eyebrow. Smith didn't need to reply openly about it but Don understood. Being easily set off came with its disadvantages on adventures in space and able to set off someone else came with its disadvantages that hurt everyone around them. Smith closed his eye. The sheer panic that Smith must be in was being held inside in several, air-tight bottles. If he was made to speak then the only thing that would come from him would be the typical run of the mill screaming, announcing he wasn't ready to die, and weeping in between. It was sheer impressive self restraint. When it came down to survival, it made sense that he wasn't wasting a breath to emoting. Within minutes, Smith was gently snoring away.

"This is Spider Pod 1," Maureen repeated, her fingers pressing on the radio's button. "Spider Pod 1, we are adrift with limited oxygen. Please, respond. We are in need of aid. . ."

* * *

The women were relaxing in their chairs taking naps.

The space pod's lights had turned off hours ago.

The only light was coming from the stars.

The passing asteroids often made the inside of the space pod engulfed into darkness.

Don didn't know what to feel being left in a supposedly no-win situation.

Loss, anger, hopeless? He was experiencing a thousand feelings at the same time. There was some hope in the situation. The kind that Don had desperately wanted in the last few days for Will to wake up. To hear his side of the story on what happened. For days, Don assumed that during the collapse Smith left Will to die. Just to save himself from not being slowed down by extra weight. In many ways, Don wasn't wrong about what happened. If Smith's math was right then it seemed that two could make the return. Two of them had to make a sacrifice. Maureen was reluctant to let her daughter go. Judy was reluctant to let her mother go. Will needed a mother not a sister to comfort him over the major loss. And  John needed his best friend, his partner, his wife not his other best friend who wouldn't be able to help him through the grief. He didn't notice Smith had stopped snoring.

"It's a shame we can't move this pod out of the asteroid belt into space," Smith commented, then Don looked over toward him.  Smith was resting his eyes. "Free open space where a rescue mission can be easily operated."

"We can't crawl our way out of this one," Don said.

"If only we could toss our way out of here. . ." Smith mused.

Don turned his attention toward space as the thought occurred to him. Sure, they could have done that. Don hadn't thought of it. That way it would be much easier to spot them in space but the search would have to be done quickly one sector at a time. Judy awoke from her nap with a yawn then came over to Don's side. Don was processing the proposition that the man had thrown out.

"Something is on your mind," Judy said.

"We can do this," Don said.

"Do what?" Judy asked, tilting her head.

"Swing the space pod out of the asteroid belt!" Don said.

"That's a great idea," Judy said. "Why didn't we think of that earlier?"

"Some of us don't overthink our situation," Don bolted over toward the box then dropped it down to the floor where the box landed on its side. "If I am right, we got some space suits in here and rope!" He bent into the box searching around for the gear.

"Mommy," Judy said, placing a hand on Maureen's shoulder.

Maureen's eyes slowly opened to see her daughter's figure above her.

"What is it, Judy?" Maureen asked, her eyes full of concern.

"We're going  to make it," Judy said.

He tore into it searching for rope. He took out long, strong green rope from the box held inside packaging. He opened the other box to see the contents of it were several black and silver outfits  that had a circular net collar. Don yanked them out one by one masking the camera and then it was out of the way, the small group were clad in uniform. One by one they pressed on the buttons alongside the collar with a long thick rope that connected to the silver hooks by their side. A dark gray helmet took form around their heads with a wide, sphere window. Judy flexed her hands out inside the dark, comfy gloves.

They had a unusual, modified device that was circular on the center of their back as though it were a makeshift air tank. The remaining oxygen inside the room was blocked off preventing it from being spent even further. Don moved the leveler down toward the floor then forced the door open. He was the first member of the group to float out, Maureen was the second member floating behind him, Smith was struggling to keep himself calm all the while whimpering, and Judy was the last member out of the pod. The second long, shiny green rope was hooked onto a knob above the console. Smith was fumbling with the metal bound latches in a very clumsy manner. They were tied to the space pod while floating in space.

"Asteroid at eleven," Maureen said.

"Smith, toss me the latches," Don said.

"Working on it," Smith said, as Don turned toward Smith.

Smith tossed the neatly closed box toward Don where it flew fast toward him.

"Got it!" Don said, his fingers grasping on the box.

Don slid the laser pistol out then grasped onto the asteroid. His fingers embedded into several rounded tunnel hole. Maureen helped him open the box then took one latch out of the box and unwrapped the secondary green rope. Don held the latch above the rope that clicked against the asteroid. The latch box floated in space beside them. Smith and Judy remained by the side of the space pod. They were watching the task unfold before their eyes in real time. Three sets of thick, green rope were latched against the asteroid.

Don launched himself forward heading in the direction of a floating asteroid. The asteroids were roughly the same size and shared the same volume enough that it contrasted against the space pod. They were like ants flying toward the asteroid with hands reached out and their free hands clinging on to the rope. Don and Maureen latched on the asteroid with their fingers grabbing old into holes stopping themselves from flying off. Maureen grabbed hold onto the three ropes then pressed them against the asteroids surface. Don put the three latches on watching them automatically dig into the surface. Don turned toward the space pod then gave the thumbs up.

"Yes!" Judy cheered.

"I believed you could do it from the beginning," Smith said, pleasantly. "Madame, Major."

"Sure sure," Don said, bemused. "Bring us over."

A asteroid flew over Don's and Maureen's helmets.

"Before a asteroid comes between us," Maureen said.

"We're doing this as fast as we can," Judy said.

Smith grunted, tugging the rope forward.

"That was a little too close," Don said.

Judy and Smith pulled them back to the space pod. Judy looked down toward the screen on her forearm that indicated how much oxygen was left in her tank. Roughly, this was the same amount of oxygen each member of the group had for the little trip. They quickly pulled Maureen and Don back to the space pod. Maureen grabbed hold on to the edge of the window to steady herself. She felt a hand place on her shoulder. She looked over to see the Smith's face lit up by white gray contrasting against the black and white spacesuit. _It is going to be okay, madame_. Her panic faded away until it became nothingness. Don looked at her in concern as she turned in his direction.

"Let's get this show on the road," Maureen said.

"If we could power the space pod up by biomass then we would be set to go," Judy said.

"Shame that the Federation have banned this form of fuel," Maureen agreed.

"Why are you looking at me?" Don asked. "I am not a rocket scientist or a mechanic."

"A fine pilot is what you are, Don," Judy said.

"Let's send this girl flying," Don said.

"Right," the women said then went to the front.

"Hey," Don said, grabbing a hold onto Smith's shoulder. Smith turned toward Don. "Thanks."

Smith observed Don for a moment then flicked off the hand from his shoulder. _That's the Smith I know very well._

"For what?" Smith asked, finally. "You are the brains of this operation," Don was smiling back at him. "Something funny, Don?"

"Turns out I did miss you, Zach," Don said.

"We need everyone to push the spider pod!" Judy called over the radio.

Don made his way over from Smith who's eyes sadly lingered on him.

Smith shoved down the feeling into a box then wrapped it in chains until the feelings couldn't come out. Don and Smith came side by side between Judy and Maureen. They pushed the pod toward the make shift sling shot. Each member of the group grunted moving the space pod forward. Smith looked over his shoulder then did mental math on how far they needed to move the object. Smith tapped on Maureen's shoulder then pointed up. The group readjusted to the other side of the space pod. The space pod was light enough to be shoved into space by a opposing force. The sounds of rope twisting and turning as the space pod pressed against it growing tighter and tighter. Judy looked over the side of the space pod and turned her attention to the others. Don glanced over toward Maureen who glanced over to Smith. Making their way over back into the space pod wasn't going to be all that difficult.

"We'll do it on the count of three," Maureen said. "One. . ."

"Smith, if we get cut off. . . " Don said. "Hang onto Judy, will you?"

"Two. . ."  Maureen said.

"I shall do my best," Smith replied.

Judy looked from Don to Smith to see tense looks.

"THREE!" Maureen shouted.

They let go of the hull. The space pod tore the rope in half scattering them into two pairs. Judy watched her mother and Don float off into the distance. She screamed repeatedly for her mother  watching her become smaller and smaller in the asteroid field. Smith gripped onto the woman's shoulders keeping her from chasing after them. Tears stung her cheeks, she grossly sobbed, and called for them, "MOMMMY! DON! MOMMY! DON!" She couldn't hear what was Smith was saying. If there was anything to be said, there was nothing that could be said.

From a outsider's perspective, the black and silver suit turned to black and white as the golden glow from her helmet was replaced by gray. Her vision grew dark and dark until she lost consciousness. From the background she could hear Smith's familiar voice that sounded concerned until she was the comforting darkness. When she opened her eyes, she gasped for breath inside the dark pod. She heard Smith at the console calling for Maureen and Don. A stone sunk in Judy's stomach. They had fifteen minutes worth of oxygen inside their spacesuits. The familiar coward was starting to whine even plead for reply degrading into a mumbles of "Major, madame, _please_ respond." that was becoming over the hails: "It should have been me not him."

The space pod had lost its unique shine returning to its dark gray theme. The space pod had a bulky theme similar to the Chariot of this uniform with a large, circular center that made up for the bulky hulls that seemed to  have been based off a clay design in theory. There was anger radiating off Smith. Not only guilt was shining off him. He smacked his fist on the console, repeatedly. Sparks erupted from the black console at each strike as it got harder and harder. Judy sped over to Smith's side then stopped him from damaging the panels. She made him step back as she saw his old cut was reopened.

"Stop!" Judy said, emotionally. "You've opened your cut up!"

"I've reopened a old wound for you, too," Smith said, walking away forcibly holding on to his hand.

"No, you haven't," Judy said.

"Have I?" Smith asked, looking over toward Judy. "I wish it were me instead of your mother."

"All our sacrifices would have gone down to nothing if you were in her place or Don's place," she came over toward him. "It wasn't for nothing. We have a greater chance at being spotted by someone."

"At the cost of your mother, your boyfriend, and what is left of your father?" Smith said. "Your mother's death will kill what is left of him."

"I am the oldest Robinson, after all," Judy said. "I am the next in line to lead the mission." She returned with a small collection of gauze then wrapped it around his trembling hand. She made his hand be still grasping onto his wrist. "Robinsons don't give up easily. We are going to find Alpha  Centauri and everything is going to be alright."

"Gamma won't be home to you," Smith said. "Wherever you go. . . wherever the Jupiter goes. . . you're going to be walking wounded."

"You look like you've faired well with that wound," Judy said, as Smith closed his eyes painfully then opened them as she tied the knot up. "I have to take care of my siblings. Refining Duetronium. Flying the Jupiter. . . Making sure that the other chores have been done. You can teach me how to fly the Jupiter when we get back."

"If that is your desire," Smith said. "I understand. . ."

Smith didn't feel the need to drop 'Madame'.

The imagery of her mother had become forever tied to it.

Judy was a young woman ready to lead the Robinsons but under the worst circumstances.

He wasn't ready to embrace the new reality right away. Judy had accepted the new reality without any denial only acceptance. Smith came over to the console where he came to the undamaged section and placed his non-injured hand on it. He closed his eyes, closing his hands, and his head sulked down toward the panel. He straightened himself up letting go of the emotional distress. Of all the times the Robinsons had lost a member of their family, they never lost them for long despite the emotional hurt and terror at seeing them flying from their grasps. But now they had, forever. His heart was gently aching at the prospect of having to tell Will that he would never see his mother, again. Never get to ride the Chariot with Don. Never going to seek diamonds without the Robot, again, with his dear friend Doctor Smith.  Judy looked up. There was a bright light from the view screen as though something had jumped.  They were at least fifteen minutes away from the asteroid belt give it or take. The radio was suddenly acting noisy so she clumsy picked it up scrambling into both hands until only hand caught on to it in a firm grip. The radio traffic became alarming  drawing Smiths attention out of his self-imposed misery.

"This is Juno, over," West said. "Coming  to save your ass."

"This is Spider Pod 1," Judy said. "Didn't you say you don't come after people?"

There was brief silence between the space pod and the spaceship. Smith raised a eyebrow back at Judy.  Judy stared at the larger spaceship that seemed larger, less rounded more oval shape, and seemed to be very complex compared to the simple saucer shaped Jupiter 2. The long, wide view screen from ahead was shining. They couldn't see what was going on back there. Every second that passed between the ships felt unnecessary. Long, thick cables came out of the spaceships underside swinging onto the four long, bulky spider legs then towed it toward the belly of the ship that was hanging open.

"Well," West said. "when I said that . . . I hadn't taken a look back at myself. I am no better than a old colleague of mine. Where are the others?"

"They're in the asteroid field," Judy said. "They slung us out of it."

"You can't--that's just---that's just not. . ." West said. "Okay, we're going to get them too."

"They have five minutes of oxygen!" Judy said, Smith was seated into the chair as the spider pod was slowly making its way toward the hangar. "Hurry, please!"

"Don't worry about that," West said, Judy looked over to see Smith was making the gesture to hand over the radio. "Jake is taking care of it."

A lone space pod ejected out of the hangar heading in the direction of asteroid.

"Why hello Mr Wickles," Smith said, then finished it off with a family phrase. "Didn't expect me to be here?"

"Why Doctor Smith," West started.  "I didn't know that they had come back with you, I am--" 

"Spare me the apologies," Smith interrupted. "You can never apologize for the pain. . . the pain. ." Smith added reflexively then continued on without skipping a beat. "the pain that you put my family through for not calling ahead."

Smith slammed the radio into its resting port then walked over toward the large door watching the hangar bay become closer. Judy noticed his color seemed to be getting lighter before his eyes. Steam in the form of anger was radiating off him. Even though he was in a very bad mood at the very least his living color was coming back before her eyes. A hopeful, optimistic smile grew on her face.  The heavy fog that had set into the space pod began to lift as Smith rubbed his wrist noting to himself what to call the man with a slur of insults. The camera backed up to show the space pod becoming bright gray almost blindingly surrounded by a gentle gray glow.


	20. Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tbh this space music been helping me with the intense scenes for this story--> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUBEgFt4_PY

"Madame!" Smith's voice came over. "Major!"

"MOMMY!" Judy screamed. "DON!"

Maureen watched Judy and Smith's figures grow distant to her eyes as did the space pod. The cries from Judy slowly faded from the radio. Between from them to the space pod, traveling from the asteroid belt to the distant space pod would take a little more than a hour if they hadn't taken a fifteen light minutes. She can feel her heartbreak for her daughter. She looked on ahead to see a collection of smaller asteroids headed their way. Don reached out for the thick, large green rope. Maureen slid out her rope scissors from her suit pocket then with a click the rope was cut in half.

"We're going to make it!" Don said, then turned toward Maureen. He saw her floating away in the field. Don gripped onto the rope as asteroids flew in his way.  "Mrs Robinson! Mrs Robinson! I am coming after you!"

"Don't waste your breath on me, Don," Maureen said.

"We can make ourselves a little air pocket in one of the asteroids," Don said. "We can use our radios to boost a signal. That way if the nearest help appears, we can easily be retrieved. As your pilot, I am bound by duty to make sure my passengers get to Alpha Centauri."

The asteroid passed Maureen.

"What are you going to use?" Maureen asked.  "Rock? Space will suck it out."

"Anything!" Don said. "Anything to stop the oxygen from escaping."

"Breathing in the same air won't sustain us for long," Maureen said.  "We must face the inevitable. I always knew that I wasn't going to last long in outer space."

"Don't talk that way," Don said, as she became distant to his eyes. "Hold on, I am coming." 

"You've been kind to my children and a good friend to John," Maureen said. "Save yourself."

"That order can't be carried out," Don said. "I am going to find a way and get you---Asteroid headed your way!"

"Thank you for piloting my family down to Preplanis safely," Maureen said.

"Get out of the way!" Don shouted, watching the asteroid hurl toward her. "Get out of the way! Get out of the way!"

Maureen closed her eyes, relaxing her body for the oncoming collision. The glow around her shined in a way that was similar to the glint of a diamond against the sunlight when there was none. She overheard Don's screaming as the asteroid crashed against her sending her flying away. The radio contact with Don ceased. She watched the space pod turn to a distant dark gray blip that lost its glow. Don's figure lost its shine from the asteroid belt. She was falling like a shooting star from the distance. Except the falling star not once vanished before the view of the camera that slowly closed in on the woman through the bright shine illuminating from her. She was a delicate china doll falling through the heavens.

Maureen heard the computer's voice indicating how much oxygen that he had left.

There wasn't any pain lingering from her chest, nor ache, she was otherwise unharmed floating in space.

Fragments of Maureen's life appeared in her mind. Meeting John for the first time, greeting her children in little bundles, watching her children grow up before her eyes over the years, encountering Doctor Smith for the first time in his office, meeting Don at their first briefing, and happily watched the happiest moments in her life unfold on the screen with a smile. The memories were playing up to being selected for the Jupiter 2 mission including after becoming lost in space. Maureen and John slowly dancing to the music during the night before the fateful launch. The sound of his laughter, his smile down toward her, the dim lighting in the room, his hand laid to her waist and held to her small hand. Sitting side by side on a rocky hill watching a cosmic storm occurring in the distance. Each light blue cackle from the dark gray skies rumbled in the distance as she leaned against his shoulder feeling safe and secure. Moments like those were treasure. The smiles on her children's faces as they turned toward her, bright eyed and hopeful, in space uniforms. John lovingly looking toward her. Don seated in the pilots chair checking the scanner. Smith, healthy and hearty, looking over toward Maureen as though he had been called with the most curious expression on his face and his hands clasped together. That was the way she could remember her family.

Maureen had no regrets regarding her life and how she had spent it. Being loved as a mother, a sister, a friend, and a wife. She had resigned herself to a fate that was the kindest way to go. It was better than being fired killed by a phaser blast, being killed in cryostasis, or some other method that could kill her in the far reaches of space. Some that included by the hands of beasts and robots. Speaking of robots, she felt honored to have known the Robot. A being that had grown from his original programming into his own unique, colorful individual. He was going to help her family thrive in space out there and make sure they all came back alive. Doing his best safely monitoring Smith and Will at all times after all that had happened. She closed her eyes then opened them once more. Her blue eyes stared at the vast cosmos. Cosmos that New York City at night didn't allow her to see in full. Past five years she had seen a lot of it, and as of this moment she was floating in it without a shell to keep her grounded thanks to artificial gravity. Needless to say, she missed having her feet on the ground.

Suddenly, there was a bright light gray light from ahead. It seemed to be glowing to her eyes. The shine reminded her of a sun seen from planet-side at a safe distance. A second distant figure slowly flew into the asteroid field. She watch a much larger figure in the distance from above the asteroid field coming forward. The computers voice came over informing her how much oxygen was left behind for her. They couldn't have enough time to come after her. It would be a fools errand. Not if they had faster than light travel in there. They could make jumps through vast distances and this large spaceship was more advanced than the Jupiter 2 and yet not advanced at all. She can see the look on Judy's face calling out for the spider pod to reach out and grab her mother who was still flying like she had been hit by a asteroid. Bodies that were in explosions kept going in outer space with the same force that killed them and would damage a ship once striking the hull.  The spider pods must be more advanced than she thought to keep up with her speed. 

When she blinked, she can see the Jupiter 2's space pod flying her way. She looked at in confusion. The space pod couldn't have gone through the hole and went out into space with the last member of her family. It wasn't expected nor was it certainly planned. It couldn't be John, Penny, or the Robot who were patiently waiting for the return. The familiar bright gray and bright orange spacecraft was tearing its way through space. It came to a standstill just feet away from her. The four legs dangling below on the base. The bulky craft's large square window displayed a familiar figure at the console. She blinked, her heart racing. It couldn't be. It couldn't be. But it was. She was in shock while floating in space staring back at the space pod. A figure jumped out of the space pod with a silver, long cable wrapped around his waist then flew on after her and had a larger figure compared to her petite, small figure.

"John?" Maureen called. "John!"

John caught on to her figure grabbing hold onto the side hooks.

"I got you, Maureen," John said, as the rope came to a abrupt and strong stop.

"John," Maureen said. "You have shaven."

"A hummingbird told me things are going to be alright," John replied.

She placed her small hand on the side of his helmet. She had a soft, small beautiful aging smile back at the healthy and more happier face who's eyes were fixed on her. She slid her hands down the side of the helmet. Her red hair was unkempt on the other side of the helmet, her normally beautiful make up was smeared on all the places it normally wasn't, and her skin seemed to be turning a shade of red. 

"I didn't expect you to come down to my rescue," Maureen said. "You left the  Robot with Penny and Will?"

"Someone had to," John said. "The Robot can take care of them."

"' _All on his own_ ' I don't think so, John Sims Robinson," Maureen said, giving him a displeased frown.  

"I can't exactly leave you alone out there to have all the fun," John said, warmly.

"My very own professor in shining armor," Maureen said. Maureen closed her eyes then placed her head against his warm chest. "Being your friend was the best thing that happened to me. . ." And within moments she lost consciousness.

"Maureen?" John shook her by the shoulders. "Maureen!"

There was no reply. 

John looked over toward the space pod

"Don, Judy, reel me in!" John called, as the hallucination ended to reveal it was his blonde counterpart holding Maureen. He turned his attention onto Maureen where he watched her bright, optimistic color dimming in his arms and the once bright golden glow was vanishing from the inside of her helmet. He grew alarmed at the loss of bright color illuminating from her suit.

Doctor Robinson and West were inside the pod working together as a team tugging in them into the space pod.

"Working on it!" West replied.

From the space ship above the asteroid belt, Judy was praying for their safe return beside Don with their helmets deactivated. Smith was no where in sight but primarily outside of the hangar bay leaning against the doorway in emotional pain and uncertainty. A soft, aged bloop came from behind him. Smith looked up to see a giant, large version of Debbie. Debbie placed their long, rounded finger on to his shoulder. Instead of screaming, Smith placed his hand on to their finger.


	21. now

Maureen's eyes fluttered open. She was in a dark, unfamiliar room. The low, comfy humming of the ship was music to her ears. Similar to the noise she would hear from the Jupiter 2 while in space. For a few moments, Maureen was led to believe she was back in bed with her husband by her side on the Jupiter 2 and everything that had happened was all a nightmare. She turned her head to see that unfortunately, it hadn't been a nightmare at all. The distinctive figures of Judy and Don seated along each side by her bedside stinking, their clothes wrinkled, seemingly as though they hadn't taken a shower in days. Don's arms were folded, his eyes resting, while leaning to his side. Judy was slumped in the chair beside him. To Maureen's left, there was a distinctive familiar snore.

She looked over to see Smith resting in the chair with a unique, dark orange head comforter attached to the head rest. His lifeless theme had been replaced by even lighter colors that were still as dark as the room. He was in a dark orange turtle neck and purple pants that had a long, thick dark orange stripes on both sides. His hands were clasped together in his lap. Compared to Judy and Don, the glow hadn't came back for him. Maureen relaxed, her mind eased. They were well on their way back to the Jupiter 2 and the excitement was finally over. She closed her eyes as a small smile began to spread on her face. From the lower end of the bed, there was a glow that returned except that outlined the blanket turned from dark gray to a light gray sparkling blanket with a bright gray glow about it. The sudden brightness in the color went up with intense speed until it came up to her head. Her dark red hair returned to the bright, lovely red. Her slightly darker pink skin became bright once more. Her grayed skin became a healthy pink that shined with the glow around her.

A familiar figure entered the room.

"Why hello there, Mrs Robinson," John said.

Her blue eyes were focused on the man who walked out of the shadows.

"Mr Rogers," Maureen said.

"We're headed to your stop," John said. "You must be relieved that this mission is over."

"It is never really over," Maureen said, earning a head tilt and a baffled look from John. 

"What do you mean?" John asked.

"I mean going on adventures to save the people we love," Maureen said, her eyes gazed toward Don and Judy then over toward Smith. "It's part of the reason why we accepted the mission to  Alpha Centauri. Growing closer as a family, expected struggles, and the unique fun that we might have there starting a colony." She had a smile grow. "I don't see them as missions. They are more like family time."

John came to the front of the bed.

"Your husband must be a very optimistic, lucky man," John said.

"About him. . ." Maureen said.

"He is not that anymore," John said.

"It's dark and it's gray back there," Maureen said.

John looked over in concern toward the woman.

"It's that bad?" John asked. "It's so bad everyone loses their color?"

"No, no, no," Maureen said, with a shake of her head. "it's. . ." she paused, considering. "you wouldn't understand."

"I can try to understand," John said.

"Color doesn't stick out, nothing seems promising, and there's a heavy atmosphere," Maureen said. "I see color, I do, we all do."

"The fog of depression looming over makes it hard to see things for what they are," John said.

"You took the words out of my mouth," Maureen said. "For a moment there, I thought I was being rescued by John. Before. . . before. . "

"Before he fell apart," John finished for her.

Maureen nodded.

"He is the most qualified man I know to lead a mission in space. . . he could have been a leader rather than a professor," Maureen said. "The most respected, admired man in the Galactic." She shook her head with a fond smile. "He is a man of science. We are both people of science."

"We must look alike for you to mistake me for him," John remarked.

"You look nothing like him," Maureen said, earning a laugh from John. "Thank you for playing along."

John had himself a smile toward the well aged woman.

"You're welcome, Mrs Robinson," John said, then looked over toward Judy and shared a nod. He walked away from the two headed toward the door.

"Judy," Maureen called, softly. "Judy. . ." the  young woman stirred. "Judy."

Judy lifted her head up and her light blue eyes fluttered open.

"Mommy?" Judy said.

"I love you, Judy," Maureen said. "But you smell."

Judy laughed in-between her tears taking a hold onto Maureen's hand.

* * *

It had been a few hours since the spaceship picked them up, Maureen waking up, and the group taking their individual sonic showers. Don felt like there was things being moved around him that he didn't know. Sounds of whirring came from behind him in the corridor. Each time he went after it, Don came to a dead end and couldn't see anywhere the source of the noise had gone. He would hear it from behind them then turn around and give chase. He heard the sound of treads from ahead so obviously it had to be some kind of not that well advanced robot and the sound of whirring verified that theory. This was the kind of whirring that he would hear from the Robot's bubble head being moved. It was quite unnerving. It was the exact kind of thing that needed to be solved, explained, and witnessed first hand.

Something was going on here but Don had no idea what it was. He had a feeling that it was not something he disliked at all. He had a feeling that they were not enemies or going to flip on the party after all they had done. When it came to the Robinsons gut, most of the time aliens went under the radar because they were friendly toward them when in reality they were not good. He had a feeling that  Smith was involved, somehow and someway that was insignificant. He was well on his way to the bridge when he overheard a conversation in the form of whispers from the corridor. Instead of slowing down and listening as anyone should be doing, Don went ahead keeping his pace up. He came to the corridor where the conversation was taking place between Smith and John.

"You'll die doing that," Smith said.

"We won't," John said.

"How are you so certain of that?" Smith asked, earning a eyebrow raise from John.

"We have a good chance of going to our time, dropping him off at UGSF HQ, and saving our planet," John said. "I get the feeling people like us survive in these situations."

"Their optimism has gotten to you," Smith said. "It's infectious."

"No, Doctor Smith," John said, shaking his head. "We had that all the time."

"You didn't seem like it," Smith said. "And your family is okay with a suicide mission?"

"Yes," John said, with a nod. "They are."

"Willing to die for someone else. . ."' Smith said. "That is brave."

"The kind of courage that we should have found a long time ago," John said.

"Your courage has kept you alive for so long," Smith said. "Bettering yourself is another kind of courage."

"Speaking of bettering ourselves," John said. "We were supposed to represent the best of our planet when we went out into space years ago. We haven't exactly been kind to the alien friends we have made in space." John sighed, his eyes glancing toward the floor then back up toward Smith. "I always wanted to be better than my father but instead, it backfired. I became worse than my father. I've made poor decisions but that all changes after we drop you and your family off."

"The kind of people I meet," Smith said, shaking his head.

"What kind of people are you, anyway?" Don asked, coming from behind. "That's a bunch of initials that don't make sense."

"Major," Smith greeted the man with a rare smile with his fingers tapping together. The pleased, happy look was startling. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough," Don said, looking toward John then toward Smith. "What kind of people is your family?"

"Cowards, thieves, and meddlers," John said. "We're going to be doing what we do best in," he grew a familiar smile. "Meddle."

"And the people you often bump into turn out to be bad people," Don said, his attention on Smith.

"I am a magnet for the wrong kind of people, Major," Smith said, as John walked away.

"What did you do to your hair?" Don asked.

"I did nothing," Smith said.

"Something is different," Don said. "And I can't exactly pinpoint what it is."

"There is no mustache," Smith said.

"Ah, that's it!" Don said, snapping his fingers. "Your face looks a lot less ugly."

"I'll have you know that I had people flirting with me more than usual," Smith said.

"Uh huh," Don said, playing along. "and I get turned down because I don't look appealing."

"But it's true," Smith said.

"I like to have seen that happen," Don said.

"When  I think about it," Smith said. "Given the circumstances that it happened and the way it played out. . ." he tapped on his chin looking on as though heavily considering telling him. "Never mind." Smith walked off.

"What kind of rescue mission are they going on?" Don asked, following the man.

"A fellow passenger," Smith said. "Never met them."

"Thieves stick together," Don said. "Tightly."

"This band of thieves didn't stick that well together," Smith said, earning a confused expression from Don. "More focused on self preservation than anything."

"That's different," Don said, earning Smith's repetitive "indeed" in return and the topic went off about Gadious and what it was like on the planet.

West watched them turn a corner while leaning against the wall.

"So that's how it feels to watch myself talking to Smith," West said, thoroughly amused as he shook his head.

* * *

Returning to a very certain place with uncertain future prospects made for a very worried man. The thought of walking into the cave for the first time since the collapse was terrifying. Don and Judy were hanging out somewhere aboard the ship,  Maureen was on the bridge looking at the view screen in awe, and Debbie the bloops and the Robot were hidden carefully with some help from Smith. Smith was in the temporary quarters. He was admiring space from his perch. He never had taken a good hard look at it for the last three months with the kind of vision  that he had. His eyesight returned allowed him to admire what was in the now. Dwelling on the present was a specialty of Smith's. He observed the various shades of blue lines to the warp tunnel speeding past the window.

The spaceship jumped out of warp. The door to the temporary quarters opened and a familiar presence entered. Smith lowered his head, closing his eyes, his shoulders sulking. Will's figure came through the doorway. The door closed behind him. Smith held on to his hands while leaning against the window ledge. His vision had changed from gray to lighter colors that were still dark. He can see light from the stars, the cosmic lights, the nearby planets, and the darkness of  space. It wasn't as black as before but a darker shade of navy blue to his dark blue eyes. His once clear blue eyes didn't seem to have the tiniest of all bright lights illuminating from them. Will had a thick square object tucked under his arm.

"We didn't finish the last round to the chess," Will said, setting up the chess board.

Smith turned toward the boy.

"I . . I rather not," Smith said, watching the pieces be moved to the familiar spots.

"Because you're scared," Will said.

Smith approached the couch.

"Would you be?" Smith asked, seating into the chair across from Will.

It was sudden but Smith looked older than he really was before Will's eyes. Maybe it was the lighting in the room. Or it was from the blue vulnerable lighting coming from the window that reached out blanketing most of the room. It wasn't the bags under his eyes. It wasn't the dark grayed hair that seemed almost a blueish-gray from the lighting. There was silence between them. The only sound heard in the room were the warm, familiar humming of the Duetronium engine.  Will looked on toward the man in pity.

"No," Will shook his head at the reply with his hands placed on his knees.

Smith raised his eyebrows, perplexed.

"Why?" Smith said.

"It won't be the last chess game," Will said.

"You are very certain," Smith said. "Don't get so cocky. Cocky isn't good for people in this universe."

"I am not being cocky," Will said. "I got a feeling it's going to be alright."

"It doesn't make your stomach twist that this time, you'll win again for the last time with someone similar to your friend but different?" Smith asked, raising a eyebrow. "I will never be your friend. I can never replace your friend for a brief moment of happiness and you know that as I do. Your final chess game with a different version of your friend feels wrong in your gut. And yet, it makes you happy. You wonder why you are feeling this way." Smith sighed, looking down toward the chess board. "The answer is. . . because I gave you hope."

"It's the kind of hope that we have been missing," Will said. "Lately, it feels like we'll never reach our own time and save Earth. That this mission is doomed," he sighed, folding his arms, resting in the chair and slumped in it. "Things were getting depressing around here when you came. You didn't do anything major but the smallest things you've done have been beneficial." Smith tilted his head. "Judy and Major West are not on-again and off-again. The Robot is back. I have been happier than I have been in months. Penny has been in better spirits. After meeting mom's counterpart, mom and dad had a change." Smith straightened his head, intently listening to Will's recount. "It's small, but it's there. I can't pinpoint it but they seem happier about this decision than any other we've made since we left him behind and . . . And lately, the atmosphere around here hasn't been as depressing."

"This entire adventure has comforted you and your family rather than make everyone sad because it means that their friend is not dead," Smith said. "You know that your counterpart is in a coma, you know that the Robinsons thought I was dead and so did he . . . so you're going off a leap of faith that your friend is still alive and well but very miserable."

"It doesn't twist my stomach," Will said. "Because on the last game, he won fair and square."

"You were distracted," Smith said, watching the final pieces be placed on his side of the table.

"I was thinking about the people we left on the previous planet, whether or not I did the right thing," he sat down into the chair in front of the table. "whether if we were in their position that we would have done what they did. If our society was like them rather than the way it was." he looked up toward Smith. "Does he look back at his previous adventures?"

"I don't know for certain," Smith said. He looked up toward the young boy. "You can easily make the final move."

"And that doesn't bother you?" Will asked.

Smith sighed, his hands cupped into his lap.

"It does," Smith said. "This is something that  _has_ to be finished and should have been finished long ago."

"I mean when this is over," Will said.

"Ah yes. . ." Smith said. "That."

"Being in a place that is so certain then walking out of it into uncertainty?" Will said. "I know you, Doctor Smith. You're terrified to face a little boy that you left behind in the cave. He might not look the same, he might have a lifelong disability, and you are terrified that he will suffer more because of you." Smith grimaced then closed his eyes and lowered his gaze down. "Knowing myself, it was my idea and mine alone. I would have gone anyway if we had a earthquake detector that said not to go."

Smith shed a weathered smile back on him.

"Now . . " Smith said. "who is the psychologist?"

"Don't need a doctorate to know you," Will said.

"You must be so afraid what happens next," Smith said. 

"I am not afraid about dying," Will said.

"Why?" Smith asked, curiously raising a brow.

"For the first time we're not running away from uncertainty but toward it," Will said. "Not away from it." Will picked up his white piece then played with it in between his fingers. "If the Robinsons are willing to risk death just to save a stowaway who got into trouble from time to time then who are we?"

"A flawed family," Smith said. "Very flawed."

"They never left you behind for long," he captured the queen. "checkmate."

The door to Smith's temporary quarters opened again.

"We'll be landing in fifteen minutes," Tomlinson said, then Smith looked up toward her and stood up from the chair. He approached her then came to a stop.

"Professor," Smith said. "I am--"

"You shouldn't apologize," Tomlinson said, her hands on her hips. "We needed to be reminded who we are. What the Robinsons are. What it means to be Robinsons," She looked over toward Will than back toward Smith. "I should be the one thanking you, Doctor Smith."

Tomlinson left the confused man at the doorway making her way down the corridor.

* * *

The spaceship made its descent down to the planet steadily and decisively piloted by West.

What little time that he had been around his counterpart easily showed they were alike in some ways  then very drastically different.

Don and Judy shared a lot of stories about their side of the universe on the way over to the planet. The way they painted the Jupiter 2's crew was different and yet the same. Several handfuls of them were Smith getting into trouble, most of them had Will getting into trouble because of Smith, Penny or Judy getting into trouble, rarely if not the men getting trouble, and not a single story about aliens wanting Maureen. It was suspicious how no one wanted to take the professor or himself captive. It was quite strange since sometimes it came to himself being captured in the last three months. Sometimes, the stories had all the Robinsons held captive and the Robot (and someone else) coming to their rescue while Smith went along trying to survive in what ways he could. The uncharacteristic absence of the meddling doctor in the Robinson rescue missions seemed suspicious. One way or another, Smith had a hand in it and the Robinsons were kept in the dark about what he did. Very much unlike his counterpart who blatantly had it known and complained about all the hard work that he had to do. 

The landing procedure for the spaceship was conducted. All three landing gear extended from the belly of the ship landing to the ground. The ship grew still. West sighed, relieved. The landing had gone down without a hitch. The kind of hitch that sometimes the spaceship had in the year and three months. Most of the time they landed without landing gear so they came out through the hatch on the ramp. He turned on the hangar door ramp  and made sure to press the button that selected the Chariot. From the hangar, a large bulky bag landed to the ground landing on the  side. In a distinctive, surprisingly turn of events, the bag turned into the bulky large transport. The camera panned back to reveal the group of Robinsons looking at the transport. Don seemed to be bothered by it with his arms folded. It was still dark gray with long, bulky treads. Could have been from a tank rather than for a jeep in every way. It seemed more military than being for exploration purposes. The hangar bay door slid open smoothly letting in a out pour of light into the dark scenery.

"You can stop gawking at their bus, Major," Smith said, as Judith came toward the side doors of the Chariot.

"I still don't like it," Don said. "I like the chariot better."

"I cannot agree more," Maureen said, earning the head turn from the men.

The door to the chariot  flew open and a series of steps rolled down to  the floor.

"Van's ready," Judith called.

"Ladies first," Smith said, gesturing toward the Chariot.

Maureen had a bright smile toward him then walked on ahead and so did Judy.

* * *

Judith got into the drivers seat and clasped her hands on to the wheel. It was the only transport from the spaceship that had anything external to use and not be performed by buttons. She could see the young woman sitting by her boyfriend and they seemed happy. The kind of happiness that seemed years old rather than months old. She looked over toward Maureen who was resting against the wall with her hands clasped together and Smith was reading a padd. She pressed a button on the panel. The large compartments slid up  to reveal the large, wide windows.

"You may want to buckle up," Judith announced.

"Why didn't you mention that before?" Maureen asked, raising a brow.

"Because it was Dean who was driving the last time," Judith said. "Not me."

"I can attest that she did not drive this monstrous atrocity when they brought me over," Smith said, as the seatbelts clicked.

"Obviously," Don said, sarcastically.

"You weren't paying attention!" Judith said. "I could have been driving and you didn't even notice."

"It was a very bumpy ride," Smith recalled.

The women and the young man laughed.

"Hold on!" Judith said. "We are going our way over those bumps!"

The Chariot flew out unexpectedly over the halfway lowered platform protruding out of the hangar bay. From beside the platform on the ground, The Robot and Will waved them off. The Robinsons didn't notice they were being waved off as they clung to their seatbelts with screams. The two friends lowered their hands down to their side then walked back into the ship. The scene returned to the Chariot as the girly creams turned into laughter. It was mostly Maureen's laughter while her hand was clutched onto a hook.

"I can pilot better than this over rocky terrain,"  Judy said.

"Oh, wanna bet?" Judith asked.

"Uh huh," Judy said. "I have done worse!"

Judith looked over in horror toward the group.

"Last time, she crashed the Chariot into a lab," Don said. "Right in the nick of time to save a mermaid."

"Watch the road, Doctor Rogers!" Maureen said.

Judith grabbed a hold onto the wheel regaining control.

"I was lucky that it wasn't a bad crash," Judy said, over Smith's screams as the Chariot speed over a hill sending it flying.

"WE'RE GOING TO CRAAAAASH!" Smith insisted. "We're doomed!"

"Oh shiii--" Judith pressed a button then a long trampoline compartment extended out from beneath.

The Chariot bounced against the side of the mountain then flipped and turned. Everyone screamed during the chaotic, terrifying moments. That was until she pressed the button. The black trampoline deflated going back into the center of the transport. The Chariot landed on the path that lacked any hills. The Robinsons sighed, relieved. Smith collapsed in the chair taking in gasps of air.

"Remind me. . . next time. . ." Maureen said. "When we visit your family again. . . to take the spider pod . . . as a ride."

"Now that I will do," Judith said, combing her hair with her free hand.

* * *

The Chariot came to a stop in front of the cave. One by one the group disembarked from the Chariot in a pleasant mood. Smith stopped in his tracks standing alongside the Chariot looking on toward it. It felt like it had been over fifty years ago that he had came through. The things he had experienced, the things he went through, and the things that happened over three months made him feel older than he really was. Maureen came to a stop in front of the cave. Smith's dark blue eyes were on the upper half that diverged into the ground. She placed a hand on Don's shoulder then the Major went in after Judy.

"Something the matter, Smith?" Maureen said.

"I rather that the caves tunnels never be a place of tragedy again," Smith said.

"We will block it off when we get back," Maureen said.

"A cave to forget," Smith muttered, softly, to himself.

"It'll never be forgotten," Maureen said.

"Isn't everything I do forgotten and forgiven?" Smith asked, looking over tiredly toward  Maureen.

"Wounds like these are hard to forget," Maureen said. "That collapse wasn't your fault."

"I wish I could believe that, madame," Smith said, rubbing his left temple with a shaky breath. "I wish I could."

"Stop telling yourself that," Maureen said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"The human mind is complex," Smith said, with a heavy sigh. "Psychologically, I am not the same man I was before."

"You're still the same Doctor Smith we have known for five years," Maureen said. "a little different is all."

A small, weak smile was shared toward Maureen.

"Every time I go into a cave," he shook his head unable to continue rubbing his forehead. "I. . ." he tried to go on. "I want to run out of it and never look back."

"Even this one?" Maureen said.

"I haven't stepped into it yet," Smith said.

"You can't walk in because you feel that another collapse can happen," Maureen said.

"Au contraire, madame. . . You were nearly there," Smith said. "I can't walk in caves because when I do walk in. . . I feel like it is still happening. That it never ended."

"The accident," Maureen said.

"The ground is trembling.  . " Smith said.

"So you run to safety," Maureen said.

"It's not easy to run," Smith said. "I am plagued with thoughts that there is danger going on. I hear the unsettling sounds of rocks falling around me. One wrong move and--"

Smith cut himself off closing his eyes, disturbed, bothered by the lingering memory. The noise of the collapse echoed in the background. She knew what he was going to say. One wrong move and he would have been dead. Will and Smith would have been entombed together in the tunnel had things gone very wrong. He was doing the best that he could to live with it above his head just as her family had regarding Will. It was a unique, bittersweet parallel. She was grateful that no one died in the accident. Someone had but they were slowly coming out of the grave by the passing hours and healing was not going to take hours for him. With the outcome of the accident in mind, they were very lucky.

"Do you have nightmares?" Maureen spoke up.

"Plenty," Smith said.

"Tell me about it," Maureen said.

"Do you really want to know?" Smith asked, looking toward her raising his eyebrow.

"I do," Maureen said.

"Most of my nightmares are about getting stuck in this cave," Smith turned his attention on to the cave. "Searching for a exit only to find William's broken body halfway buried by rock. Sometimes. . . I dream that I pick him up while the rocks are falling then bring him over to this side. Even braver than me to start digging until those two come over and help us out. Few times do I dream of us going back to the Jupiter with bags full of diamonds and it had never happened."

"Last two weeks I dreamed nothing had happened in that cave," Maureen said. "Didn't have to fix him up, tear his clothing off, and clean up the mess. I don't know what to feel about you having the nightmares and me having the better dreams but what I do feel is. . ." she sighed, then shook her head. "happy." Smith's face softened. His face reading that he didn't regret that it was him rather than her. "Selfish of me to be that way."

Smith's vulnerable demeanor slipped away as he looked insulted.

"It's not selfish," Smith said. "Not at all." He saw the look of concern on her face.  "Give me a few moments. . . I have some bearings to regain."

"Don't run after the Chariot ahead of us," Maureen said.

"Why is it that?" Smith asked.

"The passage way from here to there has lots of turns compared to the other side," Maureen said.

"So it is not a straight path," Smith said.

The difficulty ahead seemed troubling. The thought of walking slow and without precision in a cave that could become unstable at any given moment was too much to bear. The dark opening of the cave seemed larger than it really was and more intimidating to him than it was to the three members of the Robinsons. To him, it was the mouth of a dragon just waiting to swallow him then prepare to feast on him in whatever way possible. The small, slightly long collection of rock pointing down toward the ground from the cieling of the cave. Smith squeezed his hand.

"We can go in together if you like," Maureen offered.

"I don't deserve your aid," Smith said, patting on her clasped hands. "Not after what I put the family through recently. . ." He reached his hand back.  "I appreciate your offer, madame."

"Don't keep him waiting, Smith," Maureen said, earning a pleased nod. "Will has waited long enough."

Maureen walked on ahead of Smith.

"I heard you need someone to hold your hand going into the cave," Penelope's voice came from behind Smith.

Smith turned toward the young girl blending in among the surroundings.

"Were you hiding on the roof, child?" Smith asked, softly.

"Yes," Penelope said. "If the Robot's on the other side then hang on to him, close your eyes and relax while he speeds you out of there."

"That is what I do best," Smith said, as Penelope reached her hand out for him. "You are very kind."

Smith held his hand out for the teenager's hand letting her fingers wrap around his palm.

"Come on, Doctor Smith,"  Penelope whispered.

Smith walked on toward the cave.

The first step into the cave was the hardest not to start running. The ground didn't feel firm and stable to him but unbalanced threatening to send him tumbling down to his feet in the way of falling, pointy diamonds. The bright, golden glow illuminating from the Robinsons ahead pressed him on. But it was also Penelope squeezing his hand to remind Smith that he wasn't alone. He had little choice to stop and regain his bearings. He was guided by their glow to the ill-fated section of the familiar tunnel. A tunnel that once had been blocked three months ago. One that had separated two universes from each other.

His hands were trembling. Smith came to a stop in front of the entrance to the other side. He couldn't feel the ability to move, let alone talk, the hair decorating his skin raised up, and goosebumps went down his skin. Penelope squeezed his hand, once more. Don turned from the gigantic, purple glowing blaster toward Smith. Penelope let go of the doctor's hand letting his fingers uncurl from against his palm. Smith felt Penelope gently squeeze his shoulder then it was no more. It was a general message that she believed in him to go through with it. A lingering foreboding feeling was radiating from the large tunnel that lead to the other side. He wore a distant expression.

The Robot's head bobbed up then turned toward the group being a good distance away.

"That was not long," The Robot said.

Don rolled his eyes then walked after Smith.

"I can walk on my own, you Romulan royalist!" came Smith's voice shortly thereafter.

Judy and Maureen laughed as Don walked past them with Smith laid over his shoulder.

"We'll go a lot faster this way," Don said.

"Major!" Smith shouted. "Put me down!"

* * *

"Captain Bishop, please report to Commodore Osengard's office," came the announcement.

No more blackmailing on his mind.

No more Colonel Smith threatening him and his officers.

Everything was going fine. Just the way that Bishop liked it.

He had submit his application for admiralcy (after all the things he had done) and was expecting a reply.

Things had finally returned to a bit of normalcy after three months of being given a bad headache that only occurred when face to face with the source or even talking to him. He didn't have that headache in his last communication with the Colonel. Suffice to say, Bishop was pleased. What was left of his Weapons Testing command had spread throughout the galaxies going to different postings. It had been a week since Colony XY had been attacked, somewhat destroyed, and lost hundreds if not thousands of colonists. A formal investigation had been launched shortly after the last evacuation pod was found and brought to safety. Traumatized colonists were difficult to help and the space doctors without borders had been rather distrustful. Their eyes were daggers to him including the officers around him. The screaming that he heard from the medical ward sent chills down his skin. Colonists still dealing with their nightmares. Some had gone insane from the attack.

The emotional toll on the medical professionals was astounding and the weight of what they were trying to help the colonists with were weighing down their faces. It wasn't surprising to find two psychiatrists from the corner of the hall in a passionate discussion about handling a survivor who couldn't sleep in the dark in a room full of bunkbeds that were also occupied and other people wanted to sleep in the dark. It was a problem that was plaguing the large headquarters. The medical section of the large starship had so many rooms that were being used for medical purposes or for patient recovery rooms. Problems were being felt a week into the recovery of the colonists. No one can see his bloody hands. They were not covered in blood but they might as well have been. He smiled in return to his colleagues who shared a wave to him then returned their attention to what they were doing as he passed them. He came toward the doorway to Osengard's office. The dark red doors opened before the man allowing him to enter the office and the doors closed behind him.

"Welcome,  Captain Bishop," Osengard said.

"Commodore," Bishop said

"Please," Osengard said. "sit."

"I am truly honored to be here," Bishop said, resting into the chair. "Captains don't normally sit here."

"Often enough they do," Osengard said. "Just very discreet about it."

"Sure," Bishop said. "So is this about my application for vice admiral."

"It is," Osengard said. "Your application has been denied."

"Denied?" Bishop said, grabbing hold on to the arm rest with a fallen jaw.

"Yes," Osengard said. "It was a very reluctant choice you see."

"I have a spotless record," Bishop said. "I have done everything I could for the federation."

Osengard wore a sad look on his dark face.

"This time you did something that we can't stand behind, captain," Osengard said.

Bishop stared back at the black man.

"What could I have possibly done?" Bishop asked.

"Recent allegations have been brought to light," Osengard said.

"Allegations. . ." Bishop said, confused,

"The kind that ruins a life in the public eye,"  Osengard said. "The kind everyone judges you on."

"I haven't done anything that could be seen as bad," Bishop then added. " _Publicly_."

Osengard was taking out padds from a metal folder.

"Just came after the search for all those missing space doctors without borders was concluded." He slid forward the thin, glowing blue pads onto the table toward Bishop. "We met someone who had the name of a missing doctor but it wasn't _that_ doctor." he picked up a padd and read it in full half listening to what the commodore was going on about. On each of the padds had familiar names and the rank Colonel kept coming up. "Assumed the killer was a doctor. We let the killer get away but we didn't know at the time that he was a killer until the sheriff told us. Zeno didn't kill anyone that time around.  A case of mistaken identity."

"I don't know what they're talking about," Bishop said, scattering the padds on the table. "This is a first that I have heard about this Colonel."

"You should recognize it since it is another term for captain in the army military,"  Osengard said.

"Oh, sure," Bishop said. "Like I know a fish out of temporal water."

"I understand the problem you had," Osengard said.

"He wasn't my problem," Bishop said.

"I have given you all the chances to own up to this disaster," Osengard said. "I have ran out of chances."

"I am their scapegoat," Bishop said. "They must have been handling whatever this Colonel was doing because I was busy with writing letters to the families of those officers who died in that accident three months ago. I am not the one who arranged for the colony to be attacked. More focused on their career than the lives of their peers."

"That's what all these files say," Osengard said, patting on the collection. "Why didn't you handle it differently?" Osengard looked at Bishop, disappointed, his hands clasped together on the table. "Thousands of colonists are dead. Many more are traumatized. Biological weapons anticipated for a large scale invasion planet side have been classified and are being scaled back, perhaps forever. You could have made your problem crash land on a distant planet and be done with him. Just why did you have to put everyone else at risk?"

Bishop stood up from the chair.

"I don't like these accusations," Bishop said.

"I do not like them, either," Osengard said, getting up from the chair, "Earth has a member among the Galactic Council of Justice which means we have to play our part in making sure justice is given when it comes to one of their own," he slowly went on approaching the man. The doors behind Bishop opened allowing in two officers. He stripped off the rank from Bishops sleeves as the man was restrained by the two officers then the ranks were placed on to the table. "Your trial is going to be held in one hour and everyone will be watching."

"Everyone?" Bishop asked.

"Everyone," Osengard said.

"I need a lawyer," Bishop said.

"These kinds of proceedings before the council require no need for one," Osengard said. "Your memory is the evidence and you are the lawyer not only the defendant," Osengard came to the chair. Bishop's hands were cuffed together. "Escort this man to the brig."

Bishop was turned away from the commodore then escorted out of the room.

The doors opened before Bishop to reveal a crowded, occupied hallway.

Everyone stopped what they were doing watching him be escorted down the hall.

Some of the other officers shook their head and a few had a grim look on their face. There was shame on all of the faces as he went down the hall. There were colleagues that he had known personally among them. He could feel all eyes were on him as he came to the familiar brig. He had been here a few times to put suspects behind the gates as a security officer himself. The blue doors lid open and he was allowed to walk in. Bishop turned away from the window toward the security officer on shift watching the two walk out of the room. The last light of freedom closed on his face.


	22. Stay

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Play Come Alive from The Greatest Showman while reading this.
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BURBlSYPmBU
> 
> Days into writing this chapter I came across that song and you don't know how this fits post-return-through-cave!Smith. The entire point of this storyline is coming back to life. Dilly dalling in terms of soul, what it means to be alive, and hope throughout this story.

_Penny was cutting barks from trees one by one stripping it off. Debbie was munching on the collection of leaves that she had gathered. Debbie raised their head up appearing to be alarmed. The Robot's arms de-extend as he turned both ways. The ground lightly trembled beneath his treads. The trembling occurred every five minutes. Now it was occurring every three minutes. Penny laughed watching the monkey fool around with the dead leaves and toss the pieces into the air. Debbie's long, dark furry arms went up and down as the young woman laughed._

_"You're making a leaf angel, Debbie," Penny said._

_"Bloop, bloop, bloop," Debbie said, then looked up again._

_"Is something the matter?" Penny asked._

_"Bloop," Debbie said, continuing on what she was doing._

_"Robot," Penny said._

_"There may be a massive earthquake preparing to happen at any moment," The Robot said. "I am not the earthquake detector so I cannot be sure how soon it is."_

_"Or it might happen later,"  Penny said._

_"The chances of it happening now are sixty five over nine thousand," The Robot said, earning a relaxed demeanor._

_"The later the better," Penny said, then resumed the tree bark chopping._

_Piece by piece fell to the halfway full bucket. Debbie came over placing most of the deaf leaves into the bucket then shoved them in and returned to the pile of leaves that she had been playing around in moments earlier. Penny was touched,  growing a brighter smile. She turned her attention back onto the tree bark then worked her way up even further. Just a few more scraps and she was done. Penny was doing very well tackling Debbie as her responsibility for the last few years. Debbie moved the bucket on to the boulder abruptly on Penny then walked over toward her and tugged her toward the boulder. The small trembling had gone very close to each other and the ground was still._

_"Debbie, I am not done yet," Penny said._

_"Bloop, bloop, bloop!" Debbie was panicking hopping around the teenager.  
_

_"What is it, Debbie?" Penny asked._

_"BLOOP!" Debbie repeated, frantically._

_There was a loud rumble._

_"DANGER, PENNY ROBINSON," The Robot announced, waving his arms in the air, as the ground loudly trembled beneath her feet. "DANGER!"_

_"Debbie!" Penny grabbed on to the dark monkey._

_Penny jumped onto the nearest boulder with Debbie in her arms and waited for the trembling to stop. She was trembling all over clinging onto the monkey, tightly,  as it loudly blooped. Debbie buried their head under the teenager's chin while clinging on to her shirt. She braced herself closing her eyes waiting for it all to end. The loud trembling stopped. She opened her eyes to see a large, wide cliff was made a good distance ahead that hadn't been there before. The Robot's arms slunk into his shell then sped ahead of her. Penny got off the boulder carrying Debbie along following the metal machine. His two lights which were red and blue were frantically glowing. The same thought was racing through their minds. Were Doctor Smith and Will okay? The two came to the mouth of the cave._

_"Will!" Penny called. "Will!"_

_"Bloop, bloop, bloop," Debbie said, their voice echoing back._

_"You may want to stay behind," The Robot said, turning toward the young woman._

_"No," Penny said. "Will needs me."_

_"I am only warning you, Penny Robinson," The Robot said, then turned toward the cave._

_"Bloop, blooop, bloop," Debbie's voice softly yet gently echoed through the corridor._

_The sound of a distant groan was the first sign that something was very, very wrong._

_The Robot whirred to a stop then bent over and picked up Will's heavy bag._

_"Their rock bags," the Robot said then Penny ran on ahead of him. "No, wait, don't---"_

_"WILL!" The sound of her grunt followed suit._

_"Penny Robinson!" The  Robot called, dropping the bag._

_The Robot wheeled after the young woman coming to her side. The cuff of the yellow sleeve easily told Penny that it was Will. More groans escaped from the blocked tunnel. It was Will's groaning. Will's golden glowing hand was peeking out from under the rubble. She touched something wet and sticky during digging. She came to a stop once reaching the young boy with pieces of diamonds and other sorts of gems piercing through his skull. Penny fought back a scream, her eyes full of horror, and her eyes slowly looked down toward her bloody hands. She looked up._

_"Penny. . ." Will groaned._

_"Will," Penny said, tearfully._

_"Are . . . you . . . okay?" Will asked._

_"You don't look good yourself," she placed a hand on his back that was covered in diamonds stuck in. "I am okay and so is Debbie." His eyes closed and he lost consciousness.  "Will?" Penny asked, placing her hand on to his shoulder. "Will, please, talk to me," she shook his shoulder.  "Will!"_

_"We need to bring him back to the Jupiter 2 for repairs," The Robot announced._

_"I will help you get him out," Penny said, restraining her tears._

_"You do not need to help," The Robot said.  
_

_"He is my brother!" Penny said, her voice dripping emotionally.  She was on the verge of tears, "I have to do something."_

_"If that will make you feel better then I can take all the help I need," The Robot placed a red claw on her shoulder._

_Penny wiped a tear off smearing some of the blood on her cheek.  
_

_"Yes. . . yes. . . it would," Penny said._

_Penny and the Robot dug into the cave until there was enough room to take Will out. Penny gently tugged the teenager out of the tunnel dropping him to the floor. Penny's pink, green outfit was stained in red. Her hands were covered in blood that reached up to her elbows. She lifted Will's unconscious figure into the Robot's extended arms. The Robot's claws rested against the young man's figure. Penny stepped back with a sniffle shaking her head. She looked over toward the other side of the cave appearing to be very sad. She wore a sad expression on her face as though she knew. At least she believed it as much. That Doctor Smith was dead. There was no groaning coming from the other side._

_"Go," The Robot said. "Penny Robinson. I will be right behind you."_

_Penny ran off as her face began to twist and tears came down her cheeks_

_Debbie picked up the bucket then blooped after Penny. The Robot wheeled after the young woman leaving the depressing cave behind. The Robot was going fast as he could while  Will's blood was sinking into his arms, down his treads, and on his chest plating. His sensors detected that there was a chance that Will could survive the injuries. A strong chance of survival if the Robot made it to the Jupiter 2 on time. Time and hope was all Will had of making it out alive. Maureen had some experience in tending wounds when it came to Smith being absent or needing help to treat a member of the family for drastic injuries. The Robot computed the many scenarios that could have happened. He could have alerted the three earlier that there was chances of a earthquake getting steadily higher by the passing hour. His friend might as well been dying in his arms. If he had gone in and warned them then they would have avoided this tragedy.  
_

_The Robot came to a halt  in front of the Jupiter 2. Don and John were standing at the doorway of the Jupiter in a discussion when Maureen had a horrifying, heartbroken scream. The men's heads turned toward the front yard to see the Robot holding Will's bloody body covered in dirt and diamonds.  Judy was holding onto Penny as they were frozen in place alongside hydroponics. John wore a devastated expression as he observed his son's broken body. Don looked up toward the Robot, his skin going pale, and his face fell.  Debbie was sitting on the chair in front of the table rocking themselves back and forth._

_"Robot!" Don said.  "What happened?"_

_"The cave collapsed on Will Robinson and Doctor Smith,"  The Robot said, handing the teenager into  John's arms._

_"Dad. . ." Will said, weakly._

_"I'm here," John said. "Sssh, don't talk."  
_

_"You're going to be just fine," Don said, as Maureen was shaking her head almost in denial backing into the Jupiter 2's doors.  
_

_"Is . . . is. . . Doctor Smith okay?" Will asked._

_"I don't know," John said, shaking his head. "I don't know, son."  
_

_"I do not detect Doctor Smith's heat signature from the other side," The Robot said._

_"He . . . is . . he is. . he is gone. . ." Will said, heartbroken._

_"You're alive," John said. "That's what matters right now."_

_Don looked up sending a angry glare toward the Robot._

_"He has a right to know," the Robot said._

_The glow from Will's hands slowly receded and his bright pink skin began to get darker. His weak, hazel eyes turned dark slowly closing. The two men didn't notice the loss of color only that his head now laid against John's chest. John up toward Don with heavy, grave eyes that were bound down by weights. John looked down toward Will who seemed peaceful. John slowly walked out of the cave, quickly. The golden glow around the Robinsons was gone just leaving the bright colors from their outfits and youth standing out. The camera moved back to reveal the Robot's light gray glow had vanished as well.  
_

_"Judy!" Don said, coming to the door. "Your mother needs you."_

_"Hold on to my sister," Judy said, as he came over toward them._

_Judy slipped Penny into Don's arms then quickly walked into the cave._

_"I am so sorry, Penny Robinson," The Robot said, synthesizing the sound of weeping as he bent over with his claws on to his glass head. "I am sorry."_

_Then the camera focused on the dark gray boulder from across._

* * *

Don dropped Smith to the ground at the exit of the cave. Smith scrambled up to his feet making his way toward the Chariot then jumped into the seat at the back. Smith noticed that the color around him was a dark gray. The familiar blue sky was a shade of gray. He looked over toward the distance to notice the ground wasn't light brown but instead dark gray and the sky was white. There were specks of dark gray in the sky that resembled clouds. There was a bright, circular white shape in the sky. Smith leaned into the chair then looked out the window watching the golden, glowing figures coming toward the Chariot. In many ways they still had their wings while he didn't.

Smith's dark blue eyes looked down toward the ground. What he noticed was the little pebbles brightening beneath their boots. The sky remained the same color as it had been when he exited the cave. The Robot was the first one aboard the Chariot easily floating up using anti-gravitational thrusters installed into the back part of his treads. The anti gravitational thrusters deactivated once landing on to the floor. Upon even noticing further between the counterpart and the Robot, it was clear that the Robot had a more humanoid build. Smith had been responsible for the Robot's programming while the construction was by some of his colleagues in the Robotology department. During the construction of the Robot, Smith played with various ways he could do sabotage so he became very familiar to rebuilding the Robot not just the programming paying his visits under the ruse "I have to see the thing I am making programs for, after all". His memory had faded about the construction over the last few years so it was quite handy that was a manual to rely on. With a different set of lens acting as his eyes, the Robot seemed more human than robot.

The other Robot was more robot than the Robot could ever be based off his design. The Robots showed two eras that contrasted quite easily when put together side by side. One was dark and one was bright. One was built without alien technology and the other had been built with alien technology specs. The idea that the Robot was built using alien technology wasn't as absurd as one would have thought. It wasn't out of the realm of possibilities. The first time that Smith had rebuilt the Robot there was many discrepancies with the level of technology that Alpha Control had been allowed to use. It seemed beyond the level of technology being rolled out in the United States Space Corps. The Robot's aesthetic was more pleasing than his counterpart.

"Is there something the matter, Doctor Smith?" The Robot sounded concerned.

Smith raised his hand up slightly up then shook it.

"You are unusually silent," The Robot said. "normally, that means you have something on your mind. " Smith sighed, briefly closing his eyes. "And it isn't about reaching Alpha Centauri."

Smith lifted his head up and his dark eyes stared back at the Robot in a challenging manner.

"So certain you want to know?" Smith asked, raising his eyebrows. There was no reply from the Robot. No wisecracking comment, no roast, or his normally colorful comment came forth. Smith lowered his eyebrows. "It is none of your concern."

"I do not know what happened to you in the last two weeks but if you need someone to talk about it then I am offer my audios."

"Your offer is generous but it is not necessary," Smith said. "Where I had been . . ." he looked on toward the Robinsons making their way toward the Chariot. "No one should have to know where I have been."

Smith watched the rail turn bright orange once the Major's hand gripped on to it. The color went up to show the sparkling metal roof. Don hopped in to the Chariot then made his way over toward the drivers seat. Don plopped down into it then buckled himself in. The ground turned from a dark gray to the shapes of rocks becoming more apparent with their individual colors becoming more clear. Judy sat down into the chair beside him. Maureen closed the window doors behind her with a gentle touch. 

"Thank the stars we don't have to drive over hills," Judy said.

"I am extremely happy to be the driver," Don said. "I am going to tell John that I am not going ahead with installing a trampoline anytime soon."

"Rather that we never use it as a form of transportation," Maureen said, tidying her hair with a laugh. "This went better than how I thought it was going to be. What we all thought it was going to go."

"Oh?" Smith asked, raising a silver brow. "What did you believe it was going to be?"

"Being nice to certain people to get you out," Judy said.

"And providing a means of distractions if that didn't work," Don said. "possibly die. We had several close calls."

"I can't believe they didn't allow for Robot to be aboard their spaceship," Judy added. "Would have made the entire mission easier had he come along."

"They had stolen the spaceship," Maureen said. "Didn't want to be chastised by the Robot regarding stealing."

The Robot's head bobbed up--a familiar sound that clicked in Don's mind and he came to a reeling realization.

"Stolen!" The Robot said. 

"Shamefully," Maureen said, with a shake of her head.

Don looked over toward Smith with a strange expression on his face. 

"I get a strange feeling that the Robot did not come along was for a good reason," Don said, earning a nod from Smith. "Just a feeling," he turned his attention toward Judy with a smile and started the Chariot. The Chariot warmly hummed. "Let's go home."

Maureen looked over toward Smith with a raised eyebrow then back on toward the road.

* * *

Penny was not a little girl with pigtails anymore.

She had grown into a young woman with short bobbed black hair.

She was a sixteen year old teenager dressed in a two piece outfit that was light gray and dark gray that complimented each other very well. Penny looked up from the plants as she heard a familiar, distant rumbling. She stopped what she was doing as a smile spread on to her face. Hope flickered in her eyes as the Chariot came closer and closer. She didn't notice that the scenery was turning from gray to light brown contrasting against the scenery of what seemed to be dead trees. What little of leaves were surrounding the tree slowly regained their orangish, yellow color. Space birds flew out of the Chariot's way making a loud ruckus. Penny stepped away from the hydroponics station coming over to the side. The Chariot came to a loud halt screeching against the somewhat large series of rocks underneath.

The doors to the Chariot flew open outwards and stopped on their own. Maureen was the first one to hop out with a beaming look on her face. That is when Penny knew everything was alright. Color returned to the teenager's face while her hair remained as dark as the light continued down her colorful outfit. Penny hugged her mother then stepped out of the hug looking over to see Judy come out. She felt like a eleven year old girl again who's family had been reunited from being separated by a natural disaster. Don was the next to come out of the Chariot then she hugged him too. The Robot floated out of the Chariot coming to a coordinated landing. Penny hugged the Robot as Smith exited the Chariot and the Robot's arms were curled around her torso.

The teenager stepped aside from the Robot coming face to face with Smith.

"You . . . You. . . you came back," Penny said, emotionally.

"I had to return much to your anguish," Smith said.

Penny shook her head, her expression changing to 'you're wrong'.

"You are dead to Will but not to me," Penny said

The next moment, Smith was crashed against the Chariot by the unexpected hug with a "Oof!"

There was warm, light hearted laughter from the three Robinsons and the Robot.

He seemed to be generally startled even surprised by her affection. Because initially Smith believed he wouldn't be hugged by them because of his part once returning to the Robinsons. It felt like it had been many years ago that he had hugged someone for that matter. Three months traveling from place to place that had been the victim of different events: natural disaster, warfare, chemical warfare, and in general any kind of disaster. What colleagues he had acquainted to were off limits to become friends or anything that meant getting close to him. The kind of emotional hurt he was in back then had been a wise time to follow through on it. And now, he wasn't entirely sure if that rule could still stand. 

Penny stepped back as she ended the hug, radiantly, her hands sliding down his shoulders and slowly let go.

It had been a long time since Smith had been warmly greeted by people who didn't want to kill him. Too long.

Being a space doctor without borders came with being targeted by governments, people who had their lives ruined because he tended to the victims and sent them on their way, and people who had been sent to prison due to his testimony at the galactic tribunal of justice regarding his part. Their escape from mining was always a mystery to Smith. It had been too long since Smith had been around people who were considered friends or family. For the first time in a very long time, he was unable to form a reply. It was only his much surprised facade that masked his almost brought to tears aesthetic. Smith saw Maureen walk past Don and Judy headed toward the doorway. Smith's dark blue eyes strayed toward the slightly younger members of the family as his face turned apologetic. He could easily hear Judy telling him, _"Waking him up is the best way you can fix this."_

Maureen went up the ramp. The doors to the Jupiter were wide open to reveal it was light gray and dark gray. Compared to the dark colors contrasting against her, Maureen out shined against the theme similar to a angel lacking a crown. In many ways, the Jupiter 2 was a relic to him. Only this relic had a light that wasn't flickering. She was radiating wholesomeness, hope, and pure optimism. Smith slowly walked away from Penny coming up the ramp where he came to a stop beside her. His hands were trembling as they were clasped together in his lap. A familiar characteristic of the doctor. He wasn't visibly trembling  to the other members of the Robinsons who watched the two enter the Jupiter. The Jupiter seemed like a lost, colorless home that had lost all its life a long time ago. The familiar colors of the astrogator were mundane. He placed a hand on to the glass wall around it. The familiar drum set utilities on the top. The familiar machinery  was light gray and dark gray with a series of 't's around it on a light gray strip. The warmth radiating from it was gentle even soft to a point. They hardly used the astrogator planet-side. And the coordinates seemed to be aimed toward the elevator.

Smith walked away from the astrogator coming over on to the elevator. Maureen closed the railing in front of them then pressed the button on the long bar. The elevator slowly went down. It was strange being on a old fashioned elevator like the Jupiter 2's. Smith felt more as a newcomer, a stranger, coming down the Jupiter. His eyes wondered briefly around the scenery. The elevator came to a halt. The familiar residential deck laid ahead of him. Instinctively, he opened the gate sliding the railing  to the side then gestured Maureen on. Maureen was the first one out with a fond smile before the doctor. The turbo lifts workings were on the back of his mind. It was ready to be used at any time he needed it, but this method of going up and down was very simple enough that it wasn't forgotten. Maureen's radiance was soft and gentle compared to how it was back in the other universe. Not squinting when the light blinded him numerous times. It was almost as though his eyes had readjusted to the light.

"Let me go in first," Maureen said, placing a hand on his shoulder for a moment then took it off.

Smith nodded.

"Long as you need, madame," Smith said.

Maureen opened the door to the cabin then walked in and closed it behind her.

"Long as I need.  . . " Smith shook his head then looked up toward the cieling. "That can't be determined." he lowered his gaze down to his trembling hands.

_In the blink of a eye, his hands were covered by a thin layer of dark yellow film that had creases and folds. His gaze swifted up from his gloved hands toward a operation. There was a couple of nurses besides a short man standing on a stool. There was a loud rumble that shook the building. The medical personnel in yellow gear acted were going about what they were doing except for one newcomer. Smith pressed himself against the support beam struggling to keep himself standing. He hurled forward and a jet of liquid full of sausage, bread, and pieces of tomato. Smith wiped off what was left behind of his breakfast on the corner of his lips._

_"Are you Doctor Smith?" the blue man asked, looking up from the operation table._

_Smith drew the yellow gloves closer to his fingers._

_"I am him," Smith said._

_"Get in here," the blue man said. "This patient just suffered six vuillet wounds to to the chest," Smith came along side the body. "Got two of them out."_

_"This is a very complex physiology," Smith commented, in awe looking at the layered holographic representation of the patient.  
_

_"And you can't operate on Galzantine people?" the blue man's yellow eyes stared back at Smith._

_"I can," Smith lied, taking a tool from a nurse's plate. "Have you looked in the kidneys?"_

_"There's no vuillet wounds to the kidneys," the blue man said._

_"This is a massive patient," Smith said. "Has it not occurred to you that a small vuillet might be able to float through the blood stream at its size?"_

_"Travel the blood stream. . . " The blue man repeated. "That's impossible."_

_Smith glanced over toward the bowl. He saw one of the vuillets were the shape of a bullet that had a unique composition while the other vuillet wasn't so lucky to retain its original shape. It didn't have the same color as a Earthling made bullet, either. The second one had been smashed beyond recognition. He regained his composure as the ground tremble beneath his feet and he gripped onto the table. Smith can hear his name being called by the blue man repeatedly. Each time it grew louder. The sound of the falling rock was prevailing against the now. He looked over toward the blue man._

_"Doctor Caj'ehi'euo," Smith said. "Are we looking at the same vuillets?"_

The blue changed shades growing and darker until the door was slid open to reveal the colorful current head of the Robinson clan who stepped out of the threshold then partially closed it behind her. A wave of dread and utter depression swept out of the cabin as Maureen slid her way out of the threshold closing the door to her side. The familiar emotional wave wasn't alarming to Smith but familiar feelings that he was well acquainted to.

"He is ready for you," Maureen said.

Smith nodded.

"I will try," Smith said.

Smith took in a deep breath then walked in passing by Maureen opening the door on his way in and closed it behind him. He exhaled once closing the door dark door behind him. When he looked on ahead, Smith was struck with a imagery that he hadn't wanted to see or ever see for that matter. There was a monochrome scene featuring John sitting by Will's bedside. Smith's back was to the door standing there more as a viewer and a bystander who wasn't part of the scene. His heart sank. Will seemed like a little boy instead of a teenager with many scars decorating his face. His dark blue eyes gazed over toward John. John didn't look like John and that took Smith back at first.

John appeared to have a two week old thick beard. His hair bangs had grown longer easily curving over his ear, his head had more hair than it had long ago and a part of Smith wondered to himself if that small bald spot on the back of his head was covered up. He found himself chastising that thought as it was a part of John that stood out like a sore thumb easily distinguishing him from people who looked like him. That bald spot had saved John from several dangerous situations. Smith grounded himself into the now. John was a shadow of himself, Will was in a coma, and the other Robinsons were counting on him to talk. Finding the right words to start off on were the kind of skills that kept Smith alive for over fifty years. Surely, he could find the right words to begin with right now. For once there wasn't any words that could come out of his mouth when it came to John. Smith respected the scientist.  

John had his hands placed together under his chin and his elbows were on his knees watching the resting young boy.

The dark gray man's attention turned on to Smith.

John's miserable appearance was replaced by anger.

Smith found his voice.  
  
"If it is any consolation, for the longest time I wished I had died instead of him," Smith said.  He lowered his gaze then briefly closed his eyes and looked back up toward John.  "I did die back there. . ."  Smith had a difficult sigh making his way over to the adjoining wall. "And I never wanted to come back after the pain I put everyone in. That's what I normally do around here, isn't it? Make it miserable for everyone." Smith leaned against the wall with his hands clasped together. "After I acquainted myself to who I was now, I hitched a ride to a Earth like planet and turned myself in for all the space crimes that I did as your reluctant stowaway. My sentence . . . " Smith stopped himself, reflecting over it. "Doesn't really matter now," he had a sad chuckle looking toward John. "I was loaned to the space doctors without borders because they needed every available surgeon on hand."

To John's eyes, there was something different about Smith. He couldn't pinpoint it but he didn't seem . .  . himself? For the lack of better term. The monotone color from John's side made Smith look like Smith without color but there was something off about him. Wiser, older, and almost as though he wore a new skin. Perhaps it was the look on his face that made John feel that way. A man who had gone mad being stranded in space from time to time in first three years,  a incompetent man when it came to technological reliability, and a coward but a fine doctor. Smith seemed older. The lines on his face had increased including the once faint lines under his eyes and along his cheeks were even more obvious speaking his age.

"And I spent a great deal of my time seeing horrors on the other side of the cave," Smith continued. "Horrors that would make a average man grow sick. Horrors that I am glad that none of you were able to see. I saw families broken apart by disaster. I saw children who needed to be put back together. . . I saw Penny and William in them. In all of them, really," Smith gulped. "I wasn't there when the Robot returned with Will but I might as well have been seeing the faces of desperate, heartbroken parents. Having to tell them that their children were dead." Smith paused, looking down toward the floor. "Then there were times my colleagues and I were stranded planet side because our transport was attacked. . . We couldn't help everyone who had a disease. There were survivors and some who believed that we could have done something about the tragedy. I couldn't, none of us could, we were surgeons who only had tools for a operation. I wish we had those kind of doctors with us who dealt with the diseases. I really do, nurses would have been handy. The times I had to watch young people perish were the worst and I could only comfort them. I never felt so helpless. The times I saw Judy and Don in them. . . " Smith was unable to finish that trail of thought. "If I could trade all my suffering for his well being then I would have done it in a heartbeat, Professor."

Smith's eyes saw Will's fingers move on the side of the bed. John's eyes followed Smith's eyes in the silence very slowly. His finger gripped on to the blanket, tightly, his eyes squeezing and a frown grew on his face. Beads of very light gray liquid traveled down the boy's skin. John reached his hand out for the boy but the sound that came from Smith easily said it was a bad idea. John paused, as it occurred to him it would be like being attacked by his son during a nightmare and not knowing it was him. It was in Will's best interest not to be touched. The boy's face relaxed then grew tense and afraid. His right hand squeezed the blanket then his eyes came open as he bolted open, terrified.

John embraced his son into a hug without speaking a word. embracing his son in a hug.

"Dad?" Will looked over. "Why are you in my cabin?" He looked over toward Smith while being tightly held by John.  "And who is the old man? Is he a space hiker?" The happy look on John's face slowly began to fade as he let go of his son. Smith's face had not changed from one moment to the next remaining grim faced as he had came in. Will turned toward John. "Well? Who is he? Dad?"

"He is . . . " John could tell that Smith had decided it was going to be a little longer before he came back. "Doctor Smith."

"I'm Will Robinson," Will said. "Glad to meet you."

"We met earlier," Smith said, was the sound of what was left of his heart breaking. "Now that my part is done. I will take my leave."

Smith turned away from Will then made his way toward the door.

"Smith," Smith stopped then turned toward John. There was heartbreak and pain in the doctor's eyes. "Thank you."

Smith nodded, then opened the door and slid out closing it behind him to see Maureen standing by the galley doorway with her arms folded. She saw the long, sad look on her face and expected the worse. Smith approached then shook his right hand and came to a stop in front of her. Her mind was set at ease but she was confused. Why did he look so grave if Will was awake? She wore a concerned expression looking on toward the doctor. Maureen watched him him take a sigh then visibly gather himself together.

"He has suppressed memories pertaining to me, madame," were a series of words that Maureen never thought would come from Smith. "Being forgotten is a fate worse than being dead. . ." he tightly clasped his hands. "Please, join your son."

Maureen nodded. 

She strolled past Smith then opened the door where she went into the cabin. Smith painfully closed his eyes taking a emotional sigh then used the elevator to go up while keeping his still composure. Moments later, the other members of the group came down in the elevator. Penny opened the door once the elevator came to a stop then sped into Will's room. When the door opened to Will's room, a large wave of bright colors crashed through into it. The floor had changed from light gray to gold. The door was left open to reveal the Robinsons surrounding a confused, baffled Will. Will was in living color, appearing older as a teenager would and his scars were faint lines in his skin.

"You act as if I have been asleep for days," Will said. "Dad, why do you have a beard? Major West, why do you have a stubble? Mom? You're looking at me like a miracle happened---what happened?" Maureen and John exchanged a concerned glance that was washed over by a warm looks as Will's stomach loudly grumbled in the cabin. "I feel like I haven't eaten in weeks!"

Pearls of precious, happy laughter erupted from the group and Penny hugged the confused teenager.

* * *

The pearls of laughter turned into the alarming sounds of a spaceship's high pitch red alert.

"Don't fail us now, Jupiter!" West put on the head piece. 

The air was tense in the dark spaceship.

"Come on, come on," he tapped on the flat, blue glowing screen on the console as several of the rockets on the end returned to life with jets of blue flying out. The spaceship disconnected from the larger spaceship then turned right side up soaring through space going past the exploration vessel. "I know, I know, I know you've got problems!"

West shouted at the screen indicating the various problems occurring inside.

The spaceship twirled missing several blasts from enemy fire.

"So do we!" West added, piloting the ship out of harms way. "Don't explode, don't explode, don't explode---"

"Judy!" Tomlinson called over the intercom. "How long does it take to put in a hypospray?"

"Sorry---" _BLAST_ "Mom, dad and I are--" _BLAST_ "Really busy right now---" _blast!_ "With Smith's baby spiders!"

"I thought it was going to be easy!" John's voice came over. "Dimondium seems like it will have to be put into him the other way!"

"Shit," Don said. "Maybe we should have followed his death bed wish?"

"It's not a death bed wish when he was not on the brink of death," Will said.

The short, young boy got out of the chair.

"Will!" Tomlinson said.

"Mom, I know another way," Will said, turning toward her. "Trust me."

There was a long pause as she looked over toward him, concerned.

"I trust you," Tomlinson said. "John, Judy hold on! We have a third way!"

Tomlinson turned off the intercomn as she reached onto the arm rest of the chair. Penelope was seated in the chair with Debbie in Judith's seat. West uncovered the leveler from the console then pulled the switch as Will beckoned the Robot  to come with him. The Robot wheeled after the boy going toward the doorway fast as they could. From ahead of the spaceship was a gigantic blue bubble that seemed to be sparkling. Bubbles were coming out of it in a strange way.  There were spaceships chasing after the small, circular spaceship. The spaceship flew into the large, light blue bubble. The bubble popped behind them. The space came to a halt over the vastly populated planet that had lights all over. The moon seemed to have its share of lights from the dark side of it. A collective sigh of relief was heard on the bridge.

"This is mission control," came a familiar voice. "Jupiter 2, are you there?"

"This is Jupiter 1," West said, with a smile looking toward the Robinsons then back on toward the screen. "Everyone is alive and well, accounted, except for two space gorilla's." Don overheard celebratory cheers from over the comn.

"We thought you were destroyed by the sun," came the relieved reply.

"How long have we been gone?" West asked.

"Five minutes," Mission Control replied.

"The Robinsons will come down in the space pod," West said. "and I will have to stay aboard the ship to make sure our reluctant stowaway has become himself again."

"Who might that be?" Mission Control replied.

"Doctor Smith," West said.

"We will be waiting," Mission Control said. "Where will the Robinsons be landing?"

"I'll reply to you after I find that out," West said. "Jupiter 1 out."

The connection sizzled. West looked on to see the blue and brown planet laying there as a marble. Life was going to return to the planet. West was grinning from ear to ear feeling emotional. It had been several years since they had became lost in space, now they were older and more experienced. They were more like a family than they had been in the beginning. West's eyes looked toward the distant sun. It was going to be alright. He relaxed in the chair.  Will came speeding into the bridge coming over toward his mother's side.

"We did it," Will said. "He'll be fine. We'll all be fine."

Tomlinson hugged the thirteen year old.

"We're finally home," Penelope said, leaning forward with emotional eyes. "we're home."

"Jupiter 1," Mission Control hailed. "Welcome home. Mission Control out."

"It's good to be back," West said, brightly smiling.

John and Judith came onto the bridge without the Robot.

"It is," John agreed, putting his hand on Tomlinson's shoulder with a smile looking off toward the planet.

The Robot was currently pinning down what was once Doctor Zachary Smith with his long arm pressing the being against the biobed and keeping it restrained for the cure to run through the veins.

The camera backed out to reveal the damaged spaceship. The aged Jupiter seemed like she had gone through hell keeping her crew alive. Her once smooth, flat texture and well light glass additions were shattered. Her circular additions to the top of her hull seemed to be halfway eaten away with pieces of metal flying out. The long poles connecting up to the central back end of her seemed to be in various phases of being heavily damaged. The front view windows below the view screen were off while the glass parts were cracked and in desperate need of repair. There was laser burns in front of her hull. She had taken a heavy beating just to bring them home. Her blue secondary color had been torn away revealing the exposed wiring, pipes, and various other parts of her stood out than before. All of her red paint was gone mostly ripped off from ferocious, vicious attacks. 

* * *

It had been two days since Will had awakened. The mood around the Jupiter 2 had lightened up, yet the look of trying to remember something was seen on Will's face. Maureen was surprised that Smith hadn't come running toward them pleading to be taken in. So Don went to check on Smith. He came to a stop seeing a small camp site had been set up consisting of a tent with a medical stamp on the side. It was positioned right next to a large pond where under a tree rested Smith. He had a makeshift fishing rod in his hands that was connected to a long, transparent line dangling in the pond. When Don came closer to the pond he could see large fish swimming around the hook giving occasional bumps at the hook.  There was a makeshift bucket that splashed occasionally beside Smith's side. The tent was a dark shade of gray but small enough to be put away. It seemed more a robotic version of a tent that didn't require someone to put it together by hand. Don looked toward Smith.

"Will wants to remember," Don said.

Smith looked up from the pond.

"I can't help him with that," Smith said

"Why not?" Don said.

"I just can't. Love to, but, that would require letting go of his hand---I can't reenact it," Smith said. "I cannot go through another tunnel without reliving it. Had I not been part of it, I would have happily made him relive the experience." He lowered the makeshift fishing stick to his side giving Don his full attention. "You should go with him."

"I can't let go of his hand," Don said, placing his hands on his hips. "I wouldn't be able to."

"He wants to remember and I want to forget," Smith said.  "I envy him more than he envies me."

"He doesn't know you were there," Don said. "He doesn't know what happened nor does he have a slightest idea of why he doesn't know you."

"They haven't told him?" Smith asked.

"John is very unsure about it," Don said.

"About whether or not to tell him that a stowaway is responsible for what happened to him. . . " Smith paused, looking over toward the pond then shook his head. "I cannot blame him. Will doesn't need to be upset so soon after waking up." Don was looking down toward the doctor with a skeptical look.

"Did you really not eat for five days?" Don asked.

"It could have been worse," Smith said, fiddling with his fingers.

"And you didn't lobby the other Robinsons to go after your counterpart because you didn't want them to be in pain," Don said.

 "He was becoming a Earthling-space spider hybrid," Smith said. "A monster. A necessary death. Would you want to live like that?"

"No," Don said.

"Would you have wanted to know the man you were speaking to was yourself?" Smith asked. "Would you?"

"They made the right choice giving fake names,"  Don said

"Let this be our little secret," Smith said, shaking his index finger. "And my advice is tell them about the reenactment."

"I would if you told me what happened in there," Don said.

"We talked," Smith said. "The ground violently trembled, we dropped our bags, I took his hand, and ran. The rest is history."

Don sat down next to the slightly dark colored man giving glares.

"I know this is going to be hard for you," Don said. "But Will really needs to know what he said."

"To relive it?" Smith asked. "I have relived it more than once. Why, I rather not say." He could spare a little white lie about what he said regarding his affection for the Robinsons. Twist his words into something similar to it that got to the effect of what Will replied. He was good at twisting his words. He looked over toward Don. "Did you happen to bring a notepad?"

* * *

The Chariot came to a stop in front of the cave. It had been five days since Will had awakened from the coma. Five days since  Smith walked away from the Jupiter 2 crew dealing with his pain. The occasional comments from the Robot regarding subjects that no one was talking about made it seem that the  Robot had been paying visits to Smith. The comments were normally exclamations followed by the Robot wheeling away like he had realized a perfect comeback or a argument. It was amusing and then it was just puzzling regarding the context. Having to hear the Robot say, "SPACE PIGS CAN'T LIVE ON MOONS!" when they were eating lunch was quite startling and zoom off.

Will had purposely suppressed his memory to protect himself from a reality that wasn't even real. The Robinsons were in better moods now that Will was awake and things had become brighter. The thick fog had lifted as though several beams of light had come in dissipating the heavy gray mood. Will played chess with Penny. Maureen watched Will contemplating a move. A move that he did all the time when he played against his older sister then took his black piece sliding it forward. Will stared at the entrance of the cave and the Robot was resting beside the young boy.  The  Robot placed a red claw on the young man's shoulder.

"Will Robinson," The Robot said.

Will looked up toward the Robot with a defiant look.

"Will it help me remember?" Will asked.

"I am sure it will," Maureen said.

"It is okay to be afraid," The Robot said, as Maureen opened the doors and took the flashlight out. "The chances of failure stand at five percent."

"That five percent is small as the distance between my fingers," Maureen said, holding her index finger and thumb together. "You will remember."

Maureen was the first one out of the Chariot then Will followed after unbuckling himself. The Robot levitated out of the Chariot landing to the ground. The group slowly walked their way into the cave further and further inside. They came to a stop at the almost fatal scene. Maureen reluctantly let go of her son's hand while closing the notepad with her wrist. Will stared at the blocked tunnel.  Their flashlights making the diamonds glow brighter against the constant white light leaving behind a shine. They lowered their flashlights to the floor where one of the diamonds had aged blood on the side that had the shape of a palm.

"I would have remembered if it were that simple," Will said, then looked toward Maureen.

Maureen tilted her head, startled, looking down upon her son.

"It didn't happen that way," Maureen said.

"I think. . . I think. . ." Will said. "I think. . ." she placed a hand on his shoulder.  He looked up toward Maureen with a unsure expression on his face. "I think _I_ was the one who let go."

"You still don't remember," Maureen said, her face falling.

"I want to remember," Will said. "I really do."

The  Robot tapped on her shoulder then whispered into her ear and she glanced over toward a gloomy Will.

"If it'll work," Maureen said.

"It will," The Robot said. "Wait outside the tunnel."

Maureen nodded then walked away leaving the two behind.

"You know what I love about being alive, Will Robinson?" The Robot asked, coming to his side.

"Getting to have your power pack on all the time," Will said. "No one ripping it off unexpectedly."

"Asides to that," The Robot said.

"What is that?" Will asked.

The Robot looked both ways then turned toward Will.

"Spending time with my family that I love deeply,"  The Robot patted on the young boy's shoulder with Smith's voice synthesized. "Don't tell the major I said that."

The Robot let go of Will's shoulder then quickly wheeled away.

The camera moved into Will's hazel eyes as the Robot was consumed into the pitch black as a flicker of images came through on the center of the pupil that ranged in color from monotone to technicolor playing simultaneously. The camera panned over to the campsite where a large rhino like humanoid was laid on their side. Smith's fingers were moving along the injury in a pair of thin, dark yellow gloves that looked orange contrasting against the generated flames from the center of the fire place. A large, slimey blue object slid out then  Smith slid it back in with his hand feeling around for what was inside.

Smith looked over the body seeing figures in bright uniform that was sparkling against the scenery. He lowered his gaze down and slipped out a large,  silver object with several gems inside it. He placed it into the container then took out a large pair of knitting devices keeping the organs inside with his feet and remaining hand.  Smith used his free hand to knit up the wound in a bright blue light while his hands were trembling. The uneven rocky bowl had several similar objects around it. Smith shook the rhinos being's shoulder.

"Wake up, you stubborn artifact thief!" Smith demanded. "Right this instant!"

He looked over, frantic, then down.  

"Please!" Smith whined. "Before your associates drag me into _your_ mess!"

Smith looked up one last time as their light blinded him and he shielded his eyes belting out a girly scream.

**The End.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for giving this story a read! 
> 
> Thank you for sticking around and reading this sad-miserable-to-happiness story. 
> 
> I hope to get a few chapters of A Cruel Kind of Agony done. Maybe a few scenes at most regarding this space mall chapter and complete that damn chapter. I find myself enjoying writing sad-miserable-to-happiness stories as it's very satisfying writing that journey that was intense, humorous, fix it, fun, unique, and a host of other things it could be to you. I hope you enjoyed my take on the Prime Robinsons and Alt!Robinsons (even butchering Wests characterization then building him up from there as DON WEST similar but different from the movie).
> 
> If you have your own wishes for things that should have happened. . . PLEASE GO WRITE YOUR OWN CROSSOVER FANFICTION.
> 
> BE THE POSITIVE CHANGE AS THE MEME GOES AND HAVE FUN. 
> 
> Just like I did. :)
> 
> Live long and prosper.


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